Diplomacy Races Against War In US-Iran Standoff

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Ankara- Turkey is scrambling to broker urgent diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran by the end of the week in a fresh attempt to defuse mounting military tensions in West Asia following a major American naval deployment around the Islamic Republic.

Turkish officials said Ankara is working to arrange a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Iranian leaders, possibly as early as Friday. Neither Washington nor Tehran has officially confirmed participation, but regional diplomatic sources say behind-the-scenes coordination is intensifying amid fears that miscalculation could trigger a wider conflict.

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The diplomatic push comes as the US military has surged the USS Abraham Lincoln and multiple guided-missile destroyers into the Middle East, heightening the spectre of confrontation. Yet it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump would ultimately authorise military action against Iran, a nation signalling readiness for both talks and total war. As Tehran shows no sign of yielding to the encroaching US armada, Trump has begun to soften his rhetoric.

“I'd like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said.“Right now, we're talking to Iran... if we could work something out, that'd be great. And if we can't, probably bad things would happen.”

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also downplayed speculation about regime change, much to the disappointment of monarchist lobbyists who have been calling for US-Israeli intervention, saying such a scenario was“not right now” under consideration.

An Arab diplomat familiar with the discussions said Turkey is also exploring the possibility of hosting a broader high-level meeting involving Arab and Muslim nations alongside US and Iranian representatives, underscoring Ankara's emerging role as a regional mediator.

According to official sources, other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, are expected to participate in the foreign minister-level parleys likely to take place in Istanbul.

Pakistan on Tuesday said it has also been invited to participate in the talks aiming to reduce tension by arranging a deal between the two estranged nations.

“Pakistan has received the invitation for the upcoming talks between Iran and the United States,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in response to a media query.

Earlier rounds of diplomacy between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Rome and Oman failed to produce a final agreement after Israel launched air attacks on Iran in June last year, triggering a 12-day war that also saw US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

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Iran lays down terms for talks

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