Efforts by U.S. president Donald Trump and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to broker direct talks between American and Iranian officials have reportedly collapsed due to an inability by Iranian officials to reach supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Axios reports.
Citing U.S. officials and a source with direct knowledge of the matter, the report says Trump signaled to Erdogan that he was open to flying to Turkey for a face-to-face meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian if it could help advance a diplomatic resolution.
As an alternative, Trump reportedly offered to send Vice President JD Vance or Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the talks.
According to the report, Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed the proposal to both Pezeshkian and Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi. The Iranian side was reportedly receptive and sought final approval from Khamenei.
However, efforts to reach the supreme leader failed, as he remains in an undisclosed location, reportedly over heightened fears of a possible assassination amid ongoing Israeli strikes and mounting regional tension.
