The Trump administration is putting pressure on Iran to hold direct talks regarding Tehran's nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing a US senior official.

According to the report, Washington is seeking direct negotiations between both countries' senior officials, looking to avoid a situation where the delegations are on different floors of the same hotel and passing messages between each other. The report also stated that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would "likely" be a part of the US delegation.

The tensions between the two countries grew in the past week after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it does not make a nuclear deal, while Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of Tehran's "strong response" in case of the attack. Meanwhile, the United States substantially expanded its military presence in the Middle East as part of Trump's efforts to put more pressure on Iran to strike a deal.