Overview
- Regional sources say Iran has asked to move the planned Friday meeting from Istanbul to Oman and to limit it to bilateral discussions on the nuclear file.
- U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected participants, with earlier plans citing Jared Kushner and invitations to several regional foreign ministers.
- President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly authorized negotiations on the condition they occur in a suitable environment free of threats and unreasonable expectations.
- The U.S. military reported shooting down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea as American naval forces remain deployed near Iran.
- President Trump said talks with Iran are underway but did not confirm the venue, and the White House indicated discussions are still expected later this week.