US–Iran Talks Scheduled for Friday in Oman

Tehran, The Gulf Observer: Iranian and United States officials on Wednesday confirmed that a meeting between the two sides will be held on Friday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, following earlier uncertainty over the talks’ format and venue.

Earlier in the day, media reports suggested that the negotiations were at risk of collapsing due to disagreements over where and how the talks should be conducted, raising doubts about their future. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later announced that the meeting had been finalized for Friday in Muscat.

“I’m grateful to our Omani brothers for making all the necessary arrangements,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X, confirming Oman’s role in facilitating the discussions.

White House officials also confirmed to news agencies that the meeting would take place in Oman on Friday. Earlier this week, US officials had indicated that the talks were likely to be held in Turkey.

Despite confirmation of the meeting, significant differences remain over the scope and agenda of the talks. Iran has emphasized that the discussions should be limited to its long-standing nuclear dispute with Western countries.

The United States, however, has signaled a broader approach. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that Washington was open to talks but insisted that any discussions must go beyond nuclear issues. He said the agenda would need to include Iran’s ballistic missile program, its support for armed groups in the Middle East, and its treatment of its own citizens.

Senior Iranian officials, speaking to the Reuters news agency, rejected this approach. One official said Iran’s missile program was “off the table,” while another warned that US insistence on addressing non-nuclear issues could jeopardize the talks, even as Tehran remains open to negotiations focused on the nuclear file.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump continued to escalate pressure on Iran’s leadership. In an interview with NBC News, Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very worried,” alleging that Tehran was considering building a new nuclear facility in response to recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s war with Iran in June.

“They were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country,” Trump said. “We found out about it, I said, ‘You do that, we’re going to do very bad things to you.’”

In recent weeks, the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the region, and President Trump has not ruled out the possibility of further military action as tensions with Iran remain high.