Iran teases new nuclear talks with US

The Oman-hosted negotiations come as President Donald Trump threatened strikes on the Islamic Republic

Iran and the US are set to hold a new round of nuclear talks in Oman later this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said. Tensions between the two nations escalated amid Washington’s military buildup in the Middle East and sharp diplomatic disagreements over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Araghchi announced the talks in a post on X on Wednesday, saying they were scheduled to begin at about 10 AM on Friday in Muscat, while thanking “our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements.”

While the minister did not specify the format of the talks, Iranian media reported that they would be held indirectly, with Oman acting as a mediator. They added that the negotiations would focus exclusively on Iran’s nuclear energy program and the lifting of US sanctions, and would not cover issues such as Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its support for regional allies.

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Meanwhile, Axios reported that plans for the meeting were revived after several Middle Eastern leaders lobbied the administration of US President Donald Trump not to walk away from the talks. “We have told the Arabs that we will do the meeting if they insist. But we are very skeptical,” an unnamed US official told Axios.

At the same time, Abbas Pazoki, deputy for communications in the office of Iran’s first vice president, said many claims circulating in the media amounted to “psychological operations” aimed at influencing public opinion and extracting concessions.

The new talks follow an escalation in rhetoric and military posturing 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, fueled mainly by economic grievances. Iran has said the unrest was instigated by Washington and Israel.

The Trump administration has for years 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 that it is prepared to defend itself against any attack.