US, Iran drone shot down as it approached US aircraft carrier

To try to calm the waters, according to the two Iranian sources, Tehran would be willing to halt or suspend its nuclear programme, which would amount to a major concession. But it would prefer a proposal that the US put forward last year to create a regional consortium for nuclear energy production, the New York daily points out.

The US president's envoy Steve Witkoff will land in Israel where he will meet with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, army chief of staff Eyal Zamir, and Mossad director David Barnea. The talks, Ynet reports, are expected to start around 4pm (3pm Italian time). According to various Israeli media sources and rumours, the meeting will focus on the Trump administration's talks with Iran. Indeed, Israel is demanding that any agreement with Tehran include a cessation of enrichment, the removal of enriched uranium from the country, limits on ballistic missile production and an end to support for Hezbollah, Houthi, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, a source told Haaretz. If the demands are not included in an agreement between the US and Iran, Israel is expected to support an attack on Iran with the aim of overthrowing the Islamic Republic's regime.

Qatar said diplomatic efforts in the region were continuing "intensively" in preparation for negotiations between Iran and the United States, for which Tehran said it was ready. "Efforts are continuing very intensively," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told a press conference in Doha. "We are working in tandem with all our neighbours and friendly nations with whom we currently cooperate," he pointed out, citing Turkey, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Russia has offered its assistance as a mediator in the negotiation process between the US and Iran and is not withdrawing its proposals, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said today.

"As I understand it, influential regional actors in the Persian Gulf have recently provided mediation services to Tehran and Washington, sending signals to both sides. For our part, we too have offered this and will not withdraw these offers in order to contribute, also in practical terms, to ensuring a situation that will reduce anyone's concerns and, consequently, the risks of a new destructive conflict," Ryabkov told reporters.

France also intervenes. "The first decision to be taken is obviously to put an end to this bloody repression, free the prisoners, restore communications, return freedom to the Iranian people, and then address the issues of the nuclear issue, missiles, support for terrorist organisations." This is how the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, put it in statements to the microphones of France Télévision when he spoke of what he considered to be the priorities in the negotiations between the United States and Iran that could take place on Friday in Istanbul.