Iran-US talks in Oman ‘are very good start’, says Tehran official
The US side was represented by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law,
Iran and the United States have held indirect talks in Oman over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The discussions come months after America bombed Iran’s uranium enrichment sites and just weeks following nationwide protests that convulsed the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as “a very good start” even as the parties met Oman’s top diplomat at different times at a palace on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Muscat.
Both Mr Araghchi and the Omanis described the talks as focused on merely trying to find a way to hold future negotiations — seemingly returning to the start of discussions about the Iranian nuclear programme that unfolded over months a year ago, before Israel launched its 12-day war on Iran in June.
The US side, represented by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, had no immediate comment on the talks.
In an unusual development, US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the American military’s Central Command, also attended the meeting — something that did not happen in previous rounds and likely served as a signal to Tehran that Washington may still strike Iran if negotiations fail.
With the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships in the region, along with more fighter jets, the US now likely has the military firepower to launch an attack if it wanted. But whether attacks could be enough to force Iran to change its ways — or potentially topple its government — remains far from a sure thing.
Meanwhile, Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could spark a regional war dragging them in as well. US forces already shot down an Iranian drone near the Lincoln and Iran attempted to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr Araghchi offered cautious optimism as he spoke in a live interview from Muscat on Iranian state television. He described Friday’s talks as taking place over multiple rounds and said that they were focused primarily on finding a framework for further negotiations.
“We will hold consultations with our capitals regarding the next steps, and the results will be conveyed to Oman foreign minister,” Mr Araghchi said.
“The mistrust that has developed is a serious challenge facing the negotiations,” Mr Araghchi said. “We must first address this issue, and then enter into the next level of negotiations.”
The palace, near Muscat’s international airport, had been used by Oman in earlier Iran-US talks in 2025.
Only after the Iranian vehicles left did another convoy, including an SUV flying the American flag, enter the palace grounds, where it stayed for about an hour and a half.
After that, Oman’s Foreign Ministry published a statement saying that the sultanate’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, met separately with Mr Araghchi, then with the Americans.
“The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate circumstances for resuming the diplomatic and technical negotiations by ensuring the importance of these negotiations, in light of the parties’ determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability,” the Omani announcement said.
