US open to Iran talks as regional mediators push for meeting

The United States has informed Iran through multiple diplomatic channels that it is prepared to meet and negotiate a deal, according to a senior US official, even as Washington ramps up its military presence in the Gulf.

The move comes amid heightened tensions after US President Donald Trump ordered a major military buildup in the region, raising concerns that failure to reach a diplomatic solution could lead to a US strike on Iran and a wider regional conflict

Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar are working to arrange a meeting between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Iranian officials in Ankara, two regional sources said. Officials from the three countries, which previously helped broker the Gaza ceasefire, said the goal is to prevent the crisis from escalating into a regional war.

White House officials say President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on a possible strike against Iran and remains open to diplomacy. US officials also say the president’s public comments about negotiations are genuine, though uncertainty remains over whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will authorize talks that could meet US demands. Khamenei warned on Sunday that any US-led war would spread across the region.

With inputs from wires