Report: Plans for Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled as U.S. Rejects Tehran’s Demands, Officials Say

Plans for U.S.–Iran nuclear talks were cancelled after last-minute demands from Tehran led Washington to reject changes to the meeting’s location and format, two U.S. officials told Axios on Wednesday.

The breakdown threatens what may be the last remaining diplomatic off-ramp in the escalating confrontation between Washington and Tehran, raising the likelihood that President Trump could pivot toward military action, as he has repeatedly threatened.

Sources in Israeli security tell Belaaz that they are expecting an attack from Iran and its Houthi terrorism proxy in Yenen, which will resul in an all-out war. The IDF is reportedly at full readiness for such a conflict.

The U.S. and Iran had previously agreed to hold talks on Friday in Istanbul, with several Middle Eastern countries participating as observers. But on Tuesday, Iran informed the U.S. that it wanted to shift the meeting to Oman and convert it into a strictly bilateral format.

Iranian negotiators argued that a two-party structure was necessary to ensure the discussions focused solely on nuclear issues, rather than expanding to topics such as ballistic missiles; an American and regional priority.

U.S. officials evaluated the request but decided on Wednesday to reject it outright.  “We told them it is this or nothing, and they said, ‘OK, then nothing,’” a senior U.S. official said.

The official added that the U.S. remains ready to meet this week or next if Iran returns to the original arrangement.
“We want to reach a real deal quickly or people will look at other options,” the official said, in a thinly veiled reference to Trump’s warnings of potential military strikes.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Qatar on Thursday for meetings with the Qatari prime minister about Iran. After their visit, officials currently plan for the delegation to return to Miami rather than attempt to meet with Iranian representatives.

The collapse of the planned Istanbul meeting comes amid a tense series of diplomatic maneuvers and rising regional military activity, following recent signals from Tehran that it was ready, under certain conditions, to resume nuclear negotiations.