Negotiations between Iran and the United States are underway in Muscat, Oman, today, , with Tehran seeking to limit discussions to its nuclear program while Washington maintains the possibility of military action should talks fail.
The meetings represent the first direct engagement between the two countries since a 12-day conflict initiated by Israel against Iran in June. The U.S. Military also recently shot down an Iranian drone and Iranian forces threatened to seize a U.S.-flagged vessel in the lead-up to the talks.
The U.S. Delegation is led by President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff and the Iranian side is headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi arrived in the Omani capital on Thursday evening, according to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.
This meeting follows a period of heightened tensions, including a bloody crackdown by the Iranian government on widespread protests that reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths, according to human rights organizations.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has expressed hope that Washington will demonstrate “responsibility, realism and seriousness” during the negotiations. President Trump, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, acknowledged the talks were taking place, stating, “They are negotiating,” and adding, “They don’t want us to hit them, we have a very big fleet heading there,” in reference to the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group.
While initially threatening military action against Iran over the suppression of protestors, and even suggesting “help is on the way” to them, Trump’s recent rhetoric has focused on curbing Iran’s nuclear program, which Western nations fear is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon. Vice President Jay De Vance, in an interview on SiriusXM radio, stated that Trump “will keep his options open,” and “will try to achieve as much as he can through non-military means, and if he feels that the military is the only option, he will ultimately take that option.”
The U.S. Has sought direct talks encompassing issues beyond Iran’s nuclear program, including its ballistic missile program and support for regional groups opposed to Israel, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. However, Iran insists on focusing solely on the nuclear file with the goal of lifting international sanctions that are crippling its economy.
Iranian state television reported Thursday that “the talks are limited to the nuclear issue,” citing a source within the Iranian delegation. U.S. Officials have previously indicated that any meaningful progress requires addressing concerns related to Iran’s ballistic missiles, regional activities, and human rights record.
The current negotiations build upon previous discussions held in the spring, also in Oman, which were stalled by the outbreak of the 12-day conflict. Those earlier talks reportedly faltered over the issue of Iran’s uranium enrichment.
Germany has urged Iran to engage “seriously” in negotiations with the United States, expressing “great concern about a possible military escalation in the region.”
The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank, assessed that “Iran continues to show inflexibility in meeting U.S. Demands, reducing the likelihood of Iran and the United States reaching a diplomatic solution.”
Amid ongoing threats of military action, the United States has deployed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its strike group to the region. Iran, in turn, has warned it could easily target U.S. Bases in the region if attacked. A spokesman for the Iranian army, Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia, stated, “We are ready to defend, and the American president must choose between compromise or war,” warning that Iran can “easily” reach American bases.
In a further sign of escalating tensions, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly seized two oil tankers with foreign crews in the Gulf, alleging they were involved in “fuel smuggling,” according to the Tasnim news agency. The flags and nationalities of the tankers and their crews were not immediately clear.
Ali Akbar Velayati, a former Iranian foreign minister and current advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated, according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), that “Iran is fully prepared to confront any threat or foreign enemy.”
