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U.S. and Iran Open Nuclear Talks in Oman Under Shadow of Military Standoff

Tehran has confined the agenda to the nuclear file.

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FILE - This combo shows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, pictured in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 25, 2025 and Steve Witkoff, right, White House special envoy, pictured in Washington, on March 19, 2025. (AP Photos Stringer, Mark Schiefelbein)
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A group of protestors, comprised primarily of women who live in south Florida with ties to Iran, call on President Trump to support regime change in Iran during a protest held just west of Mar-a-Lago on Southern Boulevard Tuesday January 13, 2026.

Overview

  • Talks are underway in Muscat on Friday, with Iran and the United States confirming the meeting and Iran setting a 10:00 local start time.
  • Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leads Iran’s team and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff heads the American side, with Omani mediation and reported participation by Jared Kushner in an indirect format.
  • Washington wants the dialogue to cover missiles, regional proxies and human rights, but Iranian officials say missiles are a non-negotiable red line and the discussions must stay nuclear-only.
  • Tensions escalated in recent days as a U.S. jet shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln and IRGC boats threatened to board a U.S.-flagged tanker, with President Trump warning Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be “very worried.”
  • Reuters reported Tehran may show flexibility on enrichment, even as it asserts its right to enrich and showcased deployment of a Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile, reinforcing skepticism that a swift breakthrough is likely.