Tehran, Feb 4 (.) Iran has sought last-minute venue changes from the US, as well as change in the format of the scheduled talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff scheduled for Friday, even as its forces carried out two confrontational actions against US vessels in the Gulf, in a potential risk to the already fragile diplomatic proceedings days before the negotiations kickstart.
According to officials familiar with the discussions, Tehran has asked that the talks scheduled for Friday be moved from Istanbul to Oman and are held strictly on a bilateral basis, without the initially planned presence of Arab and Muslim states which had been invited as observers, marking a significant shift from the understandings reached in recent days just after commitments had been secured from several nations to attend.
According to Axios, the Trump administration has agreed to shift the venue to Oman, though whether the format of discussions will continue as planned or change in accordance with Iran’s wishes, is uncertain. The White House declined to comment on the changes, but acknowledged that preparations for talks are continuing.
Reportedly, the Iranian request comes to limit the discussions strictly within the nuclear deal umbrella, and sideline any discussions addressing its ballistic missile programme and support for proxy militant, and terror outfits within the region, as Tehran has refused to compromise on its missile programme.
The development comes as massive tensions have gripped the region.
On Tuesday, US officials said Iranian forces carried out two “very aggressive” actions within six hours.
In the first, fast boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to approach and board a US-flagged commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. The boats dispersed after a US Navy destroyer arrived to escort the ship, backed by US air power. While no shots were fired from either side, the move was a highly confrontational one.
Hours later, an Iranian drone flew close to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. The drone, whose deployment purpose is unclear, was shot down by a US F-35 fighter jet, according to a statement by the United States Central Command.
“These actions increase the risk of miscalculation and regional destabilisation,” said Centcom spokesperson Capt Tim Hawkins, warning that further harassment of US forces and commercial shipping would not be tolerated.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had spoken with Witkoff, briefing him about both the incidents and Iran’s new demands.
She stressed that talks were still expected to go ahead later this week as planned, adding that while President Donald Trump remained committed to diplomacy, “it takes two to tango”.
Iran’s foreign ministry downplayed the incidents, saying locations including Turkey and Oman were under consideration for the talks, and cautioning against what it called “media games” over logistics, with Araghchi calling his counterparts in Oman, Turkey and Qatar as part of the mediation effort.
Witkoff, meanwhile, was in Israel on Tuesday, where he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alongside senior Israeli security officials, including the heads of the Tzahal (military), Mossad (external intelligence), and Aman (military intelligence). Israeli officials said the discussions focused squarely on Iran, and the actions to be taken post-talks, especially if they prove inconclusive.
With US naval and air power already massed in the Gulf and Tehran signalling both diplomatic interest and military defiance, the coming days may determine whether the standoff edges back toward negotiation or slips toward confrontation.
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