White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a potential nuclear agreement, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

A third source involved in the planning said Friday represents a “best-case scenario” for the meeting, while stressing that no arrangements are final until the talks actually take place, The Caspian Post reports, citing Axios.

If held, the meeting would mark the first direct engagement between U.S. and Iranian officials since negotiations collapsed and a 12-day conflict erupted last June. The timing is notable, coming amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Gulf and repeated statements by President Donald Trump that only a rapid diplomatic deal can avert military confrontation.

The prospective talks follow several days of diplomatic efforts by Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar. On Monday, the foreign ministers of Türkiye and Egypt again spoke with Araghchi to discuss the possibility of convening the meeting. Iranian state media also reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered a resumption of negotiations with the Trump administration.

Speaking on Monday, Araghchi said Iran remains open to diplomacy, but warned that negotiations cannot proceed under coercion. “Diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force. We hope that its results will soon become evident,” he said.

However, significant differences remain. The Trump administration has long insisted that any agreement must address Iran’s nuclear program, missile development and regional proxy activities. Tehran, by contrast, maintains that discussions should be limited strictly to the nuclear issue. It remains unclear how Witkoff and Araghchi would bridge this divide if talks go ahead.

Meanwhile, Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel on Monday and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, according to an Israeli official, who said the meeting was requested by Tel Aviv. Witkoff is also scheduled to meet Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir, who recently returned from a rare visit to Washington, where he briefed U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine on Israel’s defensive and offensive plans in the event of a war with Iran.

Following his stop in Israel, Witkoff is set to travel to Abu Dhabi for trilateral peace talks with Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday. From there, he is expected to continue on to Türkiye for the planned discussions with Araghchi.