US and Iran to hold nuclear talks in Oman amid Trump’s military threats – live | Iran
important events
Patrick Wintour and Andrew Roth:
Iran’s foreign minister said late Wednesday that talks would continue in Oman, following reports of last-minute efforts by Arab states to persuade the White House not to abandon talks.
“Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat at around 10 a.m. on Friday,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi wrote. “I am grateful to our Omani brothers for making all the necessary arrangements.”
US officials also stated that the talks in Oman will continue. These operations, which will come at a time when US naval and air power is massively increasing in the region, appear to be Tehran’s last chance to prevent a US attack on the country’s leadership and nuclear program.
The talks collapsed early Wednesday after Iran promised to limit its nuclear program only. The USA had also demanded that Tehran’s ballistic missile program be discussed during the talks, which Iran rejected.
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Iranian foreign minister: ‘We act in good faith and stand behind our rights’
Ahead of the talks in Muscat, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Araghchi went to X on Friday morning and said, ‘Iran is entering diplomacy with open eyes and stable memory of the past year.’
He continued: “We act in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments must be fulfilled. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric; they are an obligation and the pillars of a lasting agreement.”
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Friday’s nuclear talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman.
Earlier this week, Iranian president Massoud Pezeshkian announced that he had instructed his foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, which has established a heavy military presence in the region in recent days, including an aircraft carrier strike group.
The US military on Tuesday said it shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone after it approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea in an “aggressive” manner. Although the US military said it shot down the drone “in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel”, Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars said the drone was “on a surveillance mission in international waters”.
As tensions rise between the US and Iran, particularly amid recent anti-government protests in which thousands of people have reportedly been killed by Iranian officials, US President Donald Trump claimed last weekend that the US “armada” near Iran was larger than the task force deployed to oust the Venezuelan leader.
Trump stated that he believes Iran wants to make a deal and said, “If we make a deal, that’s good. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.”
The agenda for Friday’s talks has not yet been determined, although both sides have signaled that they are ready to negotiate.
While the United States has demanded the talks be all-inclusive, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday: “This includes sponsorships of terrorist organizations in the region. This includes the nuclear program, and this includes the treatment of its own people.”
Iran, meanwhile, insisted it wanted the talks to cover only nuclear issues.
We will keep you informed of the latest developments.
