US and Iran to Hold Talks Amid Fears of New Mideast War

The United Arab Emirates has issued a direct call for the United States and Iran to de-escalate their standoff ahead of renewed talks this week, stressing that the Middle East cannot withstand another war. The appeal comes as both sides prepare for negotiations in Turkey over Iran's nuclear program.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that "bad things" could happen if a deal isn't reached, especially with U.S. warships positioned near Iran.

The UAE, a major regional power and a key U.S. ally, has made its position clear. "I think that the region has gone through various calamitous confrontations," said Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the UAE president, at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. "I don't think we need another one."

Gargash urged for direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran to resolve outstanding issues and suggested that rebuilding this relationship could help Iran's economy, which has been damaged by U.S. sanctions.

High-Stakes Diplomacy in Istanbul

Talks are scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, where U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. The primary goal is to revive diplomacy and ease fears of a new regional conflict.

According to a regional diplomat, representatives from other key countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, will also participate. An official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that invitations at the foreign minister level were extended to a group of regional powers:

• Pakistan

• Saudi Arabia

• Qatar

• Egypt

• Oman

• United Arab Emirates

The priority for the meeting is to avoid conflict and de-escalate the current tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

Military Tensions and Recent History

The diplomatic push follows a recent U.S. naval buildup near Iran and a violent crackdown on anti-government protests within the country last month. While President Trump has held back from direct intervention, he has dispatched a naval flotilla to the coast and demanded nuclear concessions.

This standoff follows a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear targets in June, which came after a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Since then, Iran has maintained that it has halted its uranium enrichment activities, which it claims are for peaceful purposes.

However, recent satellite images from Planet Labs of two targeted sites, Isfahan and Natanz, appear to show new roofing on two buildings that were previously destroyed. The imagery did not show other signs of rebuilding.

Iran's Internal Fears Mount

Sources within Iran suggest its leadership is increasingly concerned that a U.S. strike could destabilize its hold on power. Six current and former officials indicated that a foreign attack could drive an already angry public back into the streets.

Four officials briefed on high-level meetings reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was told that public anger following last month's crackdown—the deadliest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution—has eroded the government's ability to rule by fear.

Key Sticking Points in Negotiations

Last week, Iranian sources revealed that President Trump had laid out three core conditions for resuming talks:

1. Zero enrichment of uranium in Iran.

2. Limits on Tehran's ballistic missile program.

3. An end to its support for regional proxies.

Iran has consistently rejected these demands as violations of its sovereignty. However, two Iranian officials noted that the country's clerical rulers view the ballistic missile program as a greater obstacle to a deal than uranium enrichment.

One official elaborated on Iran's position: "Diplomacy is ongoing. For talks to resume, Iran says there should not be preconditions and that it is ready to show flexibility on uranium enrichment, including handing over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium (HEU), accepting zero enrichment under a consortium arrangement as a solution."

Tehran's negotiating position comes as its regional influence has been weakened by Israeli attacks on its proxies—including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq—and the ousting of its ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.