Trump-Iran latest: US military shoots down Iranian drone as Tehran demands venue change for talks

The United States and Iran are expected to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, according to an Axios report.

The Trump administration reportedly agreed to Tehran’s request to shift the venue from Turkey, while discussions are still ongoing about whether regional Arab and Muslim countries will join the negotiations, the report said, citing an Arab source.

Turkey has been working behind the scenes to make the talks happen there later this week as US envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling in the region.

A Turkish official later said the location of talks was uncertain but that Turkey was ready to support the process. Foreign ministers from Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also been invited to attend the talks, if they happen, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity as they did not have permission to speak to journalists.

But whether Iran and the US. can reach an agreement remains to be seen, particularly as US president Donald Trump now has included Iran’s nuclear program in a list of demands from Tehran in any talks. Trump ordered the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.

On Tuesday, Araghchi spoke by phone with his counterparts from Oman, Qatar, Turkey and Kuwait, but did not mention a possible venue.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, despite events in the Gulf, talks with Iran were still scheduled for later in the week.

“I just spoke with special envoy [Steve] Witkoff, and these talks as of right now are still scheduled,” she told reporters.

She said that President Trump is “always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango.”

Iran’s president said Tuesday he instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate as tensions remain high with Washington after the Mideast country’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

The announcement came as a US Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching an American aircraft carrier early Tuesday morning. The Iranian Mission to the UN did not immediately comment on the incident. The US military announced the downing of the drone on Tuesday evening.

Iran has said the location and timing of talks with the US are not complicated issues and shouldn’t be used as a “pretext for media games”.

The country said that Turkey, Oman and other countries in the region have all expressed readiness to host the talks.

Iran has said it appreciates all friendly countries making an effort to help create the conditions for the formation of a diplomatic process.

Iran has said the location and timing of talks with the US are not complicated issues and shouldn’t be used as a “pretext for media games”.

The country said that Turkey, Oman and other countries in the region have all expressed readiness to host the talks.

Iran has said it appreciates all friendly countries making an effort to help create the conditions for the formation of a diplomatic process.

An Iranian drone completed a “surveillance ‌mission in international waters,” Iranian media including ‌the ​semi-official ​Fars news ‍agency said ‍on Tuesday.

The ​US ‍military on Tuesday shot ‍down an ⁠Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the ‌US military ​said earlier.