Overview
- Iranian state-linked outlets reported Friday talks in Oman, but U.S. officials told Axios they refused Tehran’s venue-and-format changes, leaving the meeting canceled or at risk.
- The original plan was for an Istanbul session with regional observers, and a senior U.S. official said it was “this or nothing,” as envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner were instead expected to consult in Qatar.
- U.S. Central Command said an F-35C shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln and that IRGC boats threatened to board a U.S.-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any meaningful negotiation must cover missiles, regional proxies and human rights, while Iranian reports insisted talks should be limited to the nuclear file.
- Mediators from Qatar, Türkiye and Egypt proposed a draft that would halt uranium enrichment for three years and transfer enriched stock to a third country, according to sources, with no public acceptance from either side.