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Reuters reports that, according to a ‘senior regional diplomat’, officials from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Egypt, are expected to join a meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Istanbul on Friday. IRAN: Axios-US/Iran Talks Likely On Friday, 6 Feb

• There is considerable uncertainty over the scope of the meeting, which appears to be designed to kickstart negotiations on a new US-Iran nuclear deal and avert conflict, as the US strengthens its defensive posture in the region.  
• Abbas Aslani at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies noted on X earlier today, "Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman says the details of a diplomatic process with the US is currently being reviewed & decided on. He hoped that the framework & method of the negotiations will be finalized in the coming days."
• Ali Vaez, the Director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, noted on X ahead of the Reuters headline that "Tehran has insisted on indirect talks, whereas Washington is no longer interested in dragged out talks through intermediaries. It's unclear whether replacing the E3 (France, Germany, UK) with ME3 (Qatar, Turkey, Egypt), whose leaders have direct access to [US President Donald Trump], would do the trick."
• Vaez added, "Involvement of multiple mediators, appreciation of high-stakes decision point, and fundamental changes in the reality of Iran's nuclear/proxy leverage mean that there is enough difference for talks not to be redux of past failures, but also massive gaps that could doom them."