Title: American President Trump Planned a Secret Meeting with Iranian Authorities in Istanbul, but Its Organization Failed — Ayatollah Khamenei Could Not Be Found
Amidst a cloud of tension and pro-Russian conflicts unfolding in the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump recently attempted to discreetly establish dialogue with Iran's top leadership, but this initiative ended in failure. According to sources from American media, including Axios, the organization of potential negotiations in Istanbul — during a tense escalation period between Israel and Iran — was not realized because Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could not be contacted or give his approval. This intriguing scenario unfolded on Monday, June 16, during the G7 summit in Canada. At that time, reports indicate, the U.S. president received a phone call from his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He proposed organizing a meeting in Istanbul the very next day, involving representatives from the U.S. and Iran in the negotiation process. Trump, according to informants, immediately agreed to the proposal and was prepared to send a team of high-ranking officials to Turkey, including Vice President Mike Pence, Middle East envoy Steve Vitkoff, and if necessary, to join the negotiations directly with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. However, despite the apparent interest from the American side, the attempt to organize this unprecedented diplomatic step ended in failure. According to three anonymous U.S. officials familiar with the situation, the primary reason for the failure was the inability to establish contact with Ayatollah Khamenei. The source reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader could not be reached for approval of the talks due to his concerns about possible assassination attempts against him. This added complication delayed the dialogue, as Iranian representatives later informed that they were unable to contact Khamenei for several hours, leading to the cancellation of the negotiations. Historical context indicates that Iran had already issued a firm statement beforehand, refusing to engage in negotiations with the U.S. until Israeli attacks on its territory cease. On June 20, early summer, the Iranian government expressed its willingness to refrain from diplomatic dialogue for the time being until Israel halts military operations. In response, President Trump acknowledged that a ceasefire and diplomatic initiatives would be extremely difficult to achieve, but did not rule out the possibility of diplomatic measures in the future. He also emphasized that, given the current situation, the U.S. announced a two-week window to decide on involvement in Israel’s attacks on Iran. Overall, this incident in Istanbul stands as one of the clearest indicators for analysts of how high the tension is in the Middle East and how cautious and tense diplomatic efforts are, especially during periods of active military escalation. Moreover, this story unveils a new layer of complex political maneuvering, where the leaders’ desire to maintain power and personal security often complicates finding compromise solutions in fierce conflicts.