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White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul together with representatives of several Arab and Muslim countries to discuss a possible nuclear deal, Axios reported citing two sources with knowledge and a U.S. official.
According to Axios, a fourth source familiar with the planning said a meeting on Friday was "the best case scenario" but cautioned that nothing is final until it happens.
This would be the first meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials since the collapse of the negotiations and the 12-day war last June. It comes during a massive U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, and with President Trump insisting the only way to avoid military conflict is a swift deal.
The U.S. official said the summit in Istanbul will focus on trying to put together a package deal that prevents war, according to Axios. The planned meeting is the result of diplomatic efforts by Turkey, Egypt and Qatar over the last several days, according to the report.