President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan quietly attempted to arrange high-level talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Istanbul this week, in a last-ditch effort to prevent U.S. military involvement in the escalating war between Israel and Iran, according to a detailed report by Axios.
However, the covert diplomatic overture collapsed when Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is reportedly in hiding due to assassination fears, could not be reached to approve the meeting.
A High-Stakes Backchannel That Fell Apart
The initiative, revealed by three U.S. officials and a source with direct knowledge of the matter, underscores how far Trump was willing to go to pursue a nuclear deal with Iran. According to Axios, Trump was even open to attending the proposed meeting himself if it meant brokering a peace deal.
The plan emerged on Monday, when Erdoğan called Trump—who was attending a G7 summit in Canada—and suggested hosting U.S. and Iranian officials in Istanbul the following day to seek a diplomatic solution to the war. Trump reportedly agreed immediately, offering to send Vice President J.D. Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, and saying he would join in person if it would help clinch a deal with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
In the hours leading up to Erdoğan’s call, Trump had received indirect “signals” from Tehran through other backchannels suggesting Iran might be open to negotiations, a senior White House official told Axios.
Supreme Leader Unreachable, Talks Collapse
After Erdoğan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan relayed the proposal to Iran’s President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian side reportedly attempted to contact Supreme Leader Khamenei to get authorization.
But Khamenei, who has gone into hiding due to intelligence suggesting Israeli plots to assassinate him, couldn’t be reached. After hours of unsuccessful attempts, Iranian officials informed Turkish intermediaries they could not move forward. Turkey then notified the U.S. that the meeting was canceled.
Trump’s Reaction: A Warning and a Signal
Shortly after the talks fell apart, Trump took to Truth Social to deliver a stark warning to Khamenei and the Iranian leadership:
“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
A senior White House official told Axios that the breakdown of talks was not the sole reason behind the post and said Trump’s call to evacuate Tehran—a city of over 10 million residents—reflected a desire to avoid civilian casualties in the event of U.S. strikes.
The Broader Context: War Expands, U.S. on the Brink
The war between Israel and Iran has now entered its ninth day, with Israel reportedly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and senior officials. Amid the rising tension, Trump has said he will decide within two weeks whether to involve the U.S. militarily, noting he is allowing “time to see whether or not people come to their senses.”
“I’m giving ’em a period of time. We’re gonna see what that period of time is. And I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” Trump told reporters Friday.
Axios also reported that on Saturday morning, six U.S. B-2 stealth bombers departed from their Missouri base and began flying west—an unmistakable sign of possible U.S. preparations for an airstrike. The bombers are capable of carrying 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs designed to destroy hardened underground sites like Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility.
Trump has openly questioned Israel’s ability to penetrate Fordow on its own, saying, “They can break through a little section, but they can’t go down very deep. They don’t have that capacity.”
Erdoğan Urges Diplomacy, But Iran Hesitant
On Saturday, Erdoğan met again with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi in Istanbul, reiterating Turkey’s willingness to mediate direct talks with the U.S. However, Iranian officials have maintained both publicly and privately that they will not negotiate unless Israel halts its attacks.
The White House has remained non-committal about next steps but has confirmed that Trump will convene a national security meeting Saturday evening in the White House Situation Room to discuss potential U.S. involvement.
