U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are reported to be pushing for a meeting this week. This is interpreted as a move to seek diplomatic solutions for restoring the nuclear agreement and ending hostilities between Israel and Iran.
The U.S. internet outlet Axios reported on the 16th (local time), citing multiple sources, that both sides are discussing the possibility of holding bilateral talks. Axios noted, "While it has not yet been confirmed whether the meeting will take place, this represents President Trump's last-minute diplomatic effort to shift from war to negotiations." An anonymous U.S. official also confirmed that "a meeting with Iran is being considered this week."
This news comes as tensions escalate between Iran and the U.S. following Israel's surprise preemptive attack on the 13th. As a result, the possibility of U.S. military intervention is also being raised.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly requested that the U.S. use the massive bunker buster GBU-57 bomb to strike Iran's underground nuclear facilities in the Fordow region. This facility is known to be a key site for Iran's nuclear enrichment activities.
President Trump has repeatedly stated that he will not send U.S. troops into the Middle East war, but he has also emphasized that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons must be thwarted. This stance is interpreted as a strategy to leverage the current military tension as a means to achieve a nuclear agreement.
The New York Times also reported that the U.S. military has been preparing bombing operations against the Fordow underground facility using the GBU-57 over the past two years.
Axios evaluated that "the promotion of this meeting could be a significant turning point for the U.S. in deciding whether to resolve Iran's nuclear program diplomatically or to eliminate it militarily."
On the same day, President Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, urging, "Everyone should leave Tehran immediately," and subsequently ordered a return to the White House to convene the National Security Council (NSC) during the G7 summit in Canada.
In this context, Israeli media reported speculation that the U.S. has decided to engage in war intervention; however, White House Spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer denied this through X (formerly Twitter), stating, "The U.S. military is maintaining a defensive posture, and there are no changes."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also conveyed a similar message in an interview with Fox News, stating, "President Trump still wants peace, and diplomatic efforts are underway."