US-Iran talks expected as Trump envoy heads to Israel

2026-02-02 - 11:09

Talks between the US and Iran are set to begin in the coming days, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Monday. According to the report, the location and exact timing have not yet been finalized, but the meeting is expected to take place with the participation of senior officials from both countries. Meanwhile, Trump's senior adviser Steve Witkoff, who is leading contacts with Iran on behalf of the president, is set to arrive in Israel on Tuesday. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Steve Witkoff and Abbas Araghchi. Photo: AP, EPA, AFP Earlier, Iran denied that it had received an ultimatum from President Donald Trump to reach understandings on the nuclear issue. The denial followed Trump's statement that he had set a deadline for the Islamic Republic to enter talks and had warned of possible military action. Speaking at a briefing for reporters, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei was asked whether Iran had received an ultimatum from the US. He said Iran "is a country that always acts sincerely and seriously in diplomatic processes, but we will never tolerate an ultimatum." He added that "we are reviewing and finalizing the details of the stages of the diplomatic process, which we hope to complete in the coming days. These matters relate to the mode of action and the framework of the move." The US threat comes amid rising regional tensions, following the killing of protesters in Iran and the possibility of mass executions. The US military has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers to the Middle East. At this stage, it is unclear whether Trump will choose to use military force, as countries in the region attempt to advance diplomatic efforts to prevent the outbreak of a new war in the Middle East. Fighter jets aboard the aircraft carrier Lincoln. Photo: AFP In parallel, tensions between Iran and the European Union have also intensified. Tehran announced that it had summoned the ambassadors of all EU member states in Iran to protest the bloc's decision to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to its list of terrorist organizations. The EU adopted the decision last week, citing the Revolutionary Guard's involvement in the violent suppression of nationwide protests in January, during which thousands were reportedly killed and tens of thousands arrested. Other countries, including the US and Canada, had previously designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Although the move is largely seen as symbolic, it increases economic pressure on Iran, particularly given the Revolutionary Guard's broad influence over large parts of the Iranian economy. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the summoning of ambassadors began on Sunday and continued on Monday. "A series of steps were reviewed, various options were prepared and they were conveyed to the relevant decision-makers," he said. "We believe that in the coming days a decision will be made regarding a counter-response by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the European Union's illegal, unreasonable and very wrong step."