Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s special envoy, will be joined by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, in talks with the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and his team, a diplomatic source told Ahram Online.

Contrary to the previous format, none of the regional actors will join the talks.

The talks were initially scheduled for Friday in Ankara, and Turkey had already sent invitations to Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the source confirmed.

“But the subsequent expansion of the invitations irritated the Iranians,” the source said, adding that Tehran felt “it was not the time for a show or for flexing muscles." "And now the decision has also unsettled Turkey,” noted the source.

On Friday, the Egyptian foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, will instead be in Slovenia as part of meetings of the Arab group on Gaza.

Over the past week, regional countries, including Egypt, have been mediating between Iran and the United States to narrow the gaps between the two sides and avert a war that many fear could spill into a wider regional conflict.

Egypt served as a communication channel and, on 15 January, conveyed a message from Witkoff to the Iranians that essentially said: “Trump is going to strike.” Abdelatty later held a call with Araghchi, telling him that “the situation is very serious” and that it would be better to respond and accept talks.

“We succeeded in averting the escalation at that time,” a source close to the matter said, adding: “But the outcome remains uncertain.”

Iran, which pushed for the change of venue and format, insists that the talks focus solely on the nuclear programme and not on what it sees as an expanded American agenda, including Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its regional influence in Arab countries.

“The missile issue will probably be discussed in Oman, but it will not be revealed to the media,” one source added.

Friday’s meeting will be the first time Iranian and American officials meet since the 12-day Israeli war on Iran, later joined by the United States. However, both sides have been in contact over the past two weeks, “either directly or through mediators”, the source said.

The US president has threatened Iran with “military action”, including by moving warships close to the country, if Tehran does not accept US demands.

“The Americans are demanding zero enrichment,” an Egyptian source previously told Ahram Online, adding that they “do not want even the percentage allowed under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons”. They are also demanding an end to Iranian influence in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, as well as an end to any regional projection.

“They are asking the Iranians to submit,” the source said. “They want total submission.”

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