Oman held separate talks with Iranian and U.S. officials in Muscat on Friday as tensions over Iran’s nuclear program remain high.Oman’s foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Badr Busaidi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkov and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.“The consultations will focus on ensuring the importance of these negotiations and preparing for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations, given the parties’ determination to successfully achieve sustainable security and stability,” the ministry said.Video later released by the state-run Oman News Agency showed that U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, was also present. His participation was unusual and had not been seen in previous rounds of talks.Oman had earlier hosted talks between Iran and the United States in 2025. Gulf Arab states remain concerned that any military escalation could lead to a wider regional conflict.
negotiating position
No details of the latest talks have been made public by Oman, the United States or Iran. The discussions are the first since the United States joined Israel in military operations against Iran in June. Weeks ago, Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that human rights groups said resulted in thousands of deaths.Iran said the talks would focus solely on its nuclear program. Just before Friday’s talks, Araghchi said Iran was fully prepared to resist any pressure and defend its sovereignty and national security. “Iran enters the diplomatic arena with open eyes and a firm memory of the past year. We engage sincerely and firmly defend our rights,” he said on X.U.S. officials said they hoped the talks would also address Iran’s missile program and its support for regional groups. Iran insists the discussion should be limited to nuclear issues.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reaching a deal might be difficult, but added, “I’m not sure we can get a deal with these people, but we’re going to try to find out.”
Tensions between Iran and the United States
Previous negotiations broke down after Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran in June. During that conflict, the United States carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, possibly damaging centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Israel also targets Iran’s air defense systems and ballistic missile capabilities.The United States has since increased its military presence in the region, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, other warships and more fighter jets. Tensions remain high. U.S. forces recently shot down an Iranian drone near the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, and Iran also attempted to intercept a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
