Iran-US to Discuss Nuclear Issues in Oman

JAKARTA - A delegation from the United States and Iran began indirect talks on Friday mediated by Oman, to discuss nuclear issues, according to Iranian state broadcaster.

The negotiation process began with separate meetings between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Abbas Araghchi, and then with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump for the Middle East.

Iranian and US delegations are in separate rooms. After meeting with the delegation of Oman, the US and Iranian teams will exchange notes through Oman's mediation. However, US and Oman authorities have not officially confirmed this report.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadoolu, Friday, February 6, this talk was reported to have taken place amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran triggered by the increase in US military strength in the Persian Gulf and Trump's repeated threats of military action.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Iran was represented by Araghchi, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi, ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Hamid Ghanbari, and other Iranian diplomats.

Meanwhile, a number of US representatives, including among others, the US President's special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who serves as an unofficial aide.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) will join the talks, but there has been no official confirmation of this report.