Jared Evan

(TJV NEWS) Despite last week’s heated rhetoric and warnings of possible military action, it increasingly appears President Trump is not yet prepared to order a major U.S. strike on Iran. Instead, signs are emerging that Washington and Tehran may be edging back toward direct diplomatic engagement.

According to Axios, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet Friday in Istanbul to discuss the contours of a potential nuclear deal. If the meeting goes forward, it would mark the first face-to-face contact between senior American and Iranian officials since negotiations collapsed following the 12-day war in June.

However, the talks remain far from certain. Axios cautioned that the meeting represents a “best case scenario,” with one source familiar with the planning stressing that nothing is final until both sides are actually seated at the table. Any escalation in rhetoric or regional tensions before then could derail the effort entirely.

Araghchi has publicly signaled Tehran’s openness to renewed diplomacy, saying Iran is “ready for diplomacy,” while also warning that negotiations cannot proceed under threats or coercion. “Diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force,” the Iranian foreign minister has said, according to Axios. Still, Iranian officials appear cautiously optimistic about the possibility of renewed direct or indirect contacts with Washington.

Behind the scenes, regional players are reportedly scrambling to prevent a wider conflict. Axios notes that Egypt and Qatar, in particular, have been active in quiet diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and reviving dialogue.

Washington’s core demands, however, have not changed. The Trump administration continues to insist on zero uranium enrichment by Iran and significant restrictions on Tehran’s ballistic missile program, Axios reports. Those conditions remain non-starters for Iranian leaders.

Tehran has indicated it is willing to negotiate on the nuclear issue but has flatly rejected any limits on its missile capabilities. Iranian officials argue that reducing their defenses would amount to national self-destruction—especially given Israel’s unwillingness to impose similar limits and Iran’s claim that it has already been subjected to unprovoked Israeli attacks.

In comments highlighted by Clash Report, President Trump recently reflected on Iran’s military leadership, saying the late Qasem Soleimani had been a formidable figure. Speaking on The Dan Bongino Show, Trump suggested that Iran’s strategic posture would be different today had Soleimani not been killed, implying Tehran lacks comparable leadership now.

In an interview with CNN, Araghchi said indirect contacts with Washington, facilitated by regional intermediaries, had been “fruitful,” while warning that a broader war would be “a disaster for everybody.”

Meanwhile, the prospect of imminent U.S. airstrikes appears low. Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal reported that American officials say strikes are not imminent, noting that the Pentagon is instead moving additional air defenses into the region to protect Israel, Arab allies, and U.S. forces in the event of Iranian retaliation and a prolonged conflict.

For now, the administration appears to be keeping military options on the table—while quietly testing whether diplomacy still has a pulse.