The United States and Iran are set to resume nuclear talks in Istanbul on Friday, as President Donald Trump warned that “bad things” would happen if no deal is reached. Trump confirmed a large US naval deployment toward Iran, saying diplomacy remains possible but far from guaranteed.

Axar.az reports, citing Times of Israel, that the talks will be led by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with regional actors including Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the UAE involved in parallel discussions.

Washington is pressing Tehran on three demands: zero uranium enrichment, limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program, and an end to support for regional proxies.

Iranian officials have signaled limited flexibility on uranium enrichment but continue to reject restrictions on missiles and regional influence. Back-channel messages suggest Tehran fears a US strike could reignite mass protests following January’s deadly crackdown, potentially threatening regime survival.

Israel is expected to urge Washington to maintain pressure on all three demands, while the IDF has raised its readiness amid warnings from Tehran that any US attack would trigger retaliation against Israel and American assets in the region.