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US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the heads of Israel's security agencies in Jerusalem on Tuesday to discuss Iran, according to Israeli media reports and Netanyahu's office.
The meeting took place shortly after Witkoff arrived in Israel for consultations with senior officials on Iran and the implementation of the second phase of President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan, The Times of Israel reported.
Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday for discussions focused on Iran's nuclear program, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran.
The planned talks come as tensions escalate between the United States and Iran, driven by an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and repeated threats of military action from Trump. The nuclear program has long been a point of contention between the two nations, with the US withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal in 2018 under Trump's first administration.
Several countries have recently offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington in an effort to de-escalate tensions. Türkiye has taken a particularly active role in facilitating dialogue between the two nations, positioning itself as a potential bridge in the diplomatic standoff.
The choice of Istanbul as the meeting location comes as Türkiye's involvement in regional diplomacy and its relationship with both Washington and Tehran both are expanding.
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