The negotiations hosted by Oman are taking place at a time when US President Donald Trump has threatened strikes against the Islamic Republic
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has stated that Iran and the United States will hold a fresh round of nuclear talks in Oman later this week. Tensions between the two countries have risen amid Washington’s military buildup in the Middle East and sharp diplomatic rifts over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Araghchi announced the talks in a post on X on Wednesday, noting they are scheduled to start at around 10 AM on Friday in Muscat, while expressing gratitude to “our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements.”
While the minister did not specify the talks’ format, Iranian media reported they will be held indirectly with Oman acting as a mediator. The reports added that negotiations will focus solely on Iran’s nuclear energy program and the lifting of US sanctions, and will not cover issues like Tehran’s ballistic missile program or its support for regional allies.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that plans for the meeting were revived after several Middle Eastern leaders lobbied US President Donald Trump’s administration not to walk away from the talks. “We have told the Arabs that we will proceed with the meeting if they insist. But we are very skeptical,” an unnamed US official told Axios.
At the same time, Abbas Pazoki, communications deputy in Iran’s first vice president’s office, said many media-circulating claims amount to “psychological operations” aimed at influencing public opinion and extracting concessions.
The new talks follow an escalation in rhetoric and military actions by Washington. US President Donald Trump said this week that Iran’s supreme leader should be “very worried,” after the US deployed additional military assets to the Middle East. Earlier, he also promised support for Iran’s violent protests, which are mainly fueled by economic grievances. Iran has stated the unrest was instigated by Washington and Israel.
The Trump administration has long pressed Tehran to curb uranium enrichment, arguing it could be used to build nuclear weapons. Tehran has rejected negotiating under pressure, insisting its nuclear program is peaceful while warning it is prepared to defend itself against any attack.