Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place Friday (local time) in Oman, the Iranian foreign minister said, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.
The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.
”I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements,” Araghchi wrote on X.
Earlier, a regional official said Iran was seeking a “different” type of meeting than that what had been proposed by Türkiye, one focused exclusively on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, with participation limited to Iran and the United States. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
The Trump administration confirmed the US will take part in high-level talks with Iran in Oman instead of Türkiye as originally planned, according to a White House official.
The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that several Arab and Muslim leaders urged the Trump administration not to walk away from talks even as Iranian officials pressed to narrow the scope of talks and change the venue for the negotiations.
The official added that the White House remains “very sceptical” that the talks will be successful, but has agreed to go along with the change in plans out of respect for allies in the region.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US hoped to discuss a number of concerns beyond the nuclear issue, including discussions on Iran’s ballistic missiles, support for proxy networks across the region and the “treatment of their own people”.
Tensions between the countries spiked after US President Donald Trump suggested the US might use force against Iran in response to the crackdown on protesters. Trump also has been pushing Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program.
Rubio hopes talks will go beyond nuclear ones
Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed the foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the US, in the first clear sign from Tehran it wants to try to negotiate. That signalled the move is supported by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state and previously dismissed any negotiations.
Rubio said the US hoped to discuss a number of concerns beyond the nuclear issue, including discussions on Iran's ballistic missiles, support for proxy networks across the region and the “treatment of their own people".
“The leadership of Iran at the clerical level does not reflect the people of Iran. I know of no other country where there’s a bigger difference between the people who lead the country and the people who live there,” he told reporters.
Vice President JD Vance told The Megyn Kelly Show that diplomatic talks with Iran are challenging because of Tehran’s political system, overseen by Khamenei.
“It’s a very weird country to conduct diplomacy with when you can’t even talk to the person who’s in charge of the country. That makes all of this much more complicated, and it makes the whole situation much more absurd,” Vance said, noting that Trump could speak directly by phone with the leaders of Russia, China or North Korea.
Vance said Trump’s bottom line is that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, asserting that other states in the region would quickly do the same.
Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. However, Iranian officials in recent years have increasingly threatened to pursue the bomb.
Vance said he believed Trump would work to “accomplish what he can through non-military means. And if he feels like the military is the only option, then he’s ultimately going to choose that option”.
Talks expected even after US shot down Iranian drone
Yesterday, a US Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier. Iranian fast boats from its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also tried to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, the Navy said.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge either incident, which strained but apparently did not derail hopes for talks with the US.
On Wednesday, Iranian military chiefs visited a missile base in an attempt to highlight its military readiness after a 12-day war with Israel in June devastated Iran’s air defences. The base holds the Khorramshahr missile, which has a range of more than 2000 kilometres and was launched towards Israel during the war last year.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including raw sewage flowing into the sea, Bill Gates talks about his ties to Epstein, and the Black Foils count down to Auckland Sail GP. (Source: 1News)
Türkiye urges diplomacy
Also today, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Türkiye’s opposition to foreign intervention in neighbouring Iran, calling for the resolution of issues through dialogue.
Türkiye has been urgently working for the past week to bring the US and Iran to the negotiating table, and was previously expected to host the talks.
“We believe that external interventions involving our neighbour Iran would pose significant risks for the entire region,” Erdogan said during a visit to Cairo. “Resolving issues with Iran, including the nuclear file, through diplomatic means is the most appropriate approach.”
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