US‑Iran talks in Turkiye scheduled for Feb 6; decoding shift in bilateral ties since Trump took office in 2025

Amid US President Donald Trump’s recent threats to Iran, officials from the two countries are expected to meet and hold talks in Turkiye on 6 February, AFP reported, citing an Arab official.

The announcement comes days after Tehran called for the resumption of nuclear talks, with Washington warning of consequences if no agreement is reached. Diplomatic efforts have now intensified as both sides try to avert a potential military conflict.

According to a Bloomberg report, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the commencement of Tehran’s talks with Washington, which will be well “within the framework of the nuclear issue”.

Reports suggest that potential talks between the two sides have been arranged following efforts by several regional intermediaries, including those from Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Turkiye. It is also believed that officials from Saudi Arabia and Egypt are likely to be part of the talks.

Reacting to Trump’s threats, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a warning on 1 February that any attack on Tehran could trigger a “regional war”. It has also previously threatened retaliation against Israel and US bases in the region.

The tensions hit a high point in 2025, when Trump returned to the White House for a second term. In March, Trump sent a letter to Khamenei proposing new negotiations on a possible nuclear deal within 60 days. Iran's Supreme Leader rejected Trump's offer, citing that the US is not seeking negotiations and is rather imposing its demand on Tehran.

While talks began in Oman and Italy, they were later stalled on uranium enrichment. Soon after, Israel launched a “preemptive” strike on Tehran and targeted its nuclear plants and military sites. Days later, the US deployed B-2 bombers to target key nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Following the strike by the US, Trump claimed that the nuclear facilities in Iran had suffered a major blow, a claim denied by the Iranian authorities.

Tensions escalated between Tehran and Washington in December after scores of protestors took to the streets and demanded regime change after the Iranian currency, the Rial, witnessed a sharp decline against the US dollar in the market.

With the Rial sinking to a record low and inflation soaring past 40%, shopkeepers in Tehran staged a protest on 28 December, expressing their anger at the crippling price rises for everyday items like cooking oil and meat. To make matters worse, sanctions over the country's nuclear programme squeezed the economy, which was already weakened by government mismanagement and corruption.

Within the first two weeks of the protest, at least 2.400 people were reportedly killed. Following the news of protestors being killed, Trump threatened intervention and also ordered “very strong action” if any detained protestors were executed.

On 13 January, Trump called on Iranians to keep protesting. In a post on Truth Social, he asked them to “take over your institutions” and “save the names of the killers”. He further added that “help is on its way”, without revealing any details.

Following his series of posts on Truth Social, the Iranian authorities have blamed Trump for the unrest in the country, accusing him of orchestrating the protests.

Whether the diplomatic efforts help avert a potential conflict between Tehran and Washington will be clear on 6 February.