Iran and the US were yesterday holding talks in Oman that were seen as a critical chance to avert any new escalation between the foes, after US President Donald Trump threatened military action.
With a US naval group led by an aircraft carrier in Middle Eastern waters, Iran has insisted the talks would be centered solely on its nuclear program, although the US wants to discuss Tehran’s backing for militant groups in the region and its ballistic missile program.
The talks come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead according to rights groups.
Photo: Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AFP
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi are leading their delegations at the talks.
Iranian state media described the talks as indirect and as of press time last night, there was no indication yet of the Iranian and US officials meeting directly.
Images published by Oman showed both sides meeting separately with Oman Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi.
Araghchi said Tehran maintains “full readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or adventurism” by the US.
According to Iran’s state television, the Iranian delegation first handed over its message to Oman’s foreign minister, which was then passed on to the US.
A second such round of talks was now underway, it added.
The White House has made clear it wants the talks to rein in Tehran’s ability to make a nuclear bomb, an ambition the Islamic republic has always denied.
The US delegation intends to explore “zero nuclear capacity” for Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, adding that Trump had “many options at his disposal aside from diplomacy.”
“They’re negotiating,” Trump said regarding Iran on Thursday.
“They don’t want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there,” he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an “armada.”
The US has maneuvered a naval group led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region.
Iran has repeatedly vowed it would hit back at US bases if attacked.
“We are ready to defend and it is the US president who must choose between compromise or war,” Iranian state television quoted army spokesman General Mohammad Akraminia as saying, warning that Iran has “easy” access to US regional bases.
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