Axios: U.S. refuses to change Iran's negotiating format, which may convince Trump to choose an attack
Donald Trump (Photo: YURI GRIPAS / EPA)

On February 4, the United States informed Iran that it would not agree to its demands to change the venue and format of the talks scheduled for 6th, reports Axios website, citing two unnamed US officials.

The media points out that this could block the diplomatic path and convince the American president Donald Trump choose military action.

Read also
The ayatollahs' regime is on the brink. What scenarios await Iran and what it means for Ukraine

The day before, on February 3, the interlocutors of Axios stated that Tehran wanted to change the terms of the talks: to hold them in Oman instead of Turkey and in a bilateral format – only with the United States, without the participation of Arab and Muslim countries as observers. One of the interlocutors noted that Tehran wants this to limit the talks to nuclear issues.

"We [the Americans] told them it is this or nothing, and they said, 'Ok, then nothing,'" the US official said the next day.

He noted that if the Iranians are ready to return to the original format, the United States is ready to meet this week or next week.

"We want to reach a real deal quickly or people will look at other options," the official said, alluding to Trump's repeated threats of military action against Iran.

Another U.S. official said that "we tried to reach an agreement, but the Iranians refused," adding that there is a "high probability" that the talks will not take place at all this week.

U.S. officials also said that the two countries initially agreed to hold talks in Istanbul on two fronts: direct discussions between Washington and Tehran on the nuclear deal and multilateral discussions on issues such as Iran's missile program, support for proxy groups and human rights violations during the brutal suppression of protests in the Islamic Republic.

The officials added that the special envoy of the US president Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Qatar on February 5 for talks on Iran with prime minister sheikh Mohammed al-Thani.

However, from there, the negotiators are currently planning to return to Miami, USA, rather than travel to meet with the Iranians, Axios reports.

Among other things, U.S. officials are skeptical about the possibility of a deal, given Tehran's behavior in recent days and the lack of a breakthrough in previous negotiations.

UPDATE at 22:25. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi writes that nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to take place in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on the morning of February 6: "I'm grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements."

  • On February 3, the US military announced the downing of the Iranian "Shahed", which was heading for the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, as well as another incident involving the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which was chasing a US merchant ship.
  • Deputy director of the Center for Middle East Studies Danylov said LIGA.net that Iran cannot meet the demands of the United States in the negotiations, and a possible American strike on the Islamic Republic will be positive for Ukraine.