U.S. asks American citizens to ‘leave Iran now’ ahead of high-stakes talks with Tehran
Two armed members of Iranian police special forces stand behind the country’s flag placed on an armored military vehicle during a pro-government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 12, 2026.
Nurfoto | Nurfoto | Getty Images
The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran issued a security alert early Friday urging American citizens to “leave Iran immediately” and prepare departure plans that do not rely on assistance from the U.S. government.
The announcement comes ahead of talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for Friday in Oman, and there is little indication that the two sides have found common ground on the meeting’s agenda.
According to American and Iranian officials, US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were to attend the meeting with a team led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Friday’s talks will be the first official meeting between Tehran and Washington since tensions flared in June last year, when a 12-day war with Israel led to US airstrikes that severely damaged Iran’s three main nuclear facilities.
Differences in the scope and location of the talks raise doubts about whether they will yield results, while also keeping open the risk of US military intervention.
There is a US government reportedly He demanded that Iran dispose of its enriched uranium stockpile, limit Tehran’s ballistic missile program and stop arming and financing militant groups in the Middle East. Trump threatened a military attack on Tehran if the United States did not accept his demands.
Iran has pushed back, saying the US demands were an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty and has threatened to respond forcefully to any attack by striking US military targets in the region and in Israel.
A little hope?
The diplomatic moves come against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East as the United States has been gathering power in the Gulf in recent weeks. Trump sent a “massive navy” led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East ahead of negotiations.
Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, said it was unlikely a deal would be reached or negotiations would be de-escalated because the core demands of both sides were “very different and trust is zero.”
McNally predicted there was a 75 percent chance that the United States and Iran would engage in military hostilities in the coming days or weeks. Possible scenarios include a Venezuelan-style blockade, selective or limited attacks and large-scale military conflict, he said.
Given Türkiye’s leading role as a mediator, the talks were initially planned to be held in Istanbul and foreign ministers from regional Arab countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, were invited.
But on Tuesday, Tehran demanded a last-minute change in venue and format, demanding that the meeting be held in Oman and that participants be limited to Iranian and American representatives only.
Trump is risking U.S. credibility, and if Iran refuses to make major concessions, the U.S. president will likely feel compelled to take action, McNally said. On the other hand, if the United States refrains from attacks, Israel may launch attacks against Iran’s missile, nuclear and regime leadership targets.
Tensions flared in Iran earlier this year after a nationwide protest broke out. Tehran has cracked down on the protests, killing at least 6,883 people as of Wednesday. Human Rights Activists News AgencyA Washington-based group focused on Iran.
Trump had previously threatened to intervene in support of protesters in the country, but ultimately stopped short of taking military action.
— CNBC’s Asriel Chua contributed to the report.
