U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Collapse Amid Disputes Over Format, Venue, and Rising Tensions

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Planned nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran unraveled this week after Tehran demanded changes to both the format and location of the talks, U.S. and regional officials said. The meetings, initially set for Friday in Turkey, were called off after Washington rejected Iran’s insistence on moving the venue to Oman and limiting discussions to the nuclear file alone.

A senior U.S. official told Axios that Washington presented Tehran with a take-it-or-leave-it proposal and remains ready to negotiate under the original framework. Israeli officials echoed skepticism, with one senior figure saying the gaps between the sides are “very, very large.”

The collapse of the talks has renewed debate in Washington over next steps, with U.S. officials telling Reuters that President Donald Trump is again weighing military options alongside diplomacy. Iranian sources countered that U.S. leaks about the breakdown reflect Washington’s lack of seriousness.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner, who had arrived in the region to represent the U.S., are expected to return home after consultations with regional leaders.

Tensions escalated further after two “very aggressive” Iranian actions toward U.S. vessels in the Gulf. Iranian Revolutionary Guard gunboats attempted to board a U.S.-flagged commercial ship near the Strait of Hormuz before withdrawing, and an Iranian drone approached the USS Abraham Lincoln, where it was downed by a U.S. fighter jet, according to U.S. officials.

In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu warned against trusting Iranian assurances during talks with Witkoff, while Senate Republicans publicly backed Trump’s hard line. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reiterated that any agreement must also address Iran’s ballistic missile program—an outright red line for Tehran.

While officials stress the talks have not been formally canceled and could still proceed if Iran shows flexibility, U.S. and Israeli sources say no meeting is expected Friday under current conditions, leaving the region on edge as diplomacy stalls and military risks rise.

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