Iran and the United States are set to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, amid heightened regional tensions following President Donald Trump’s warning of possible military action against Tehran after its crackdown on anti-government protests last month.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the planned talks, even as reports suggest disagreements between the two sides over both the format and scope of the discussions.
On Wednesday, Trump issued a stark warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the US builds up its military forces in the region.
"I would say he should be very worried, yeah, he should be," Trump said in an interview with NBC News. In recent weeks, the US president has been urging Iran to reach an agreement with Washington to avert a potential military strike.
A White House official confirmed that the United States will participate in the high-level talks in Oman, noting that several Arab and Muslim leaders have urged the Trump administration not to walk away from negotiations. The official added that Iranian representatives have sought to limit the scope of the talks and proposed changing the venue, according to the Associated Press.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised on Wednesday that Washington does not view engagement with Iran as a concession or as legitimising its leadership. He said Trump remains open to meeting and engaging with any global actor, including adversaries, echoing the president’s approach during his first term.
“We don't view meetings as a concession. We don't view meetings as even a little legitimisation. It is our willingness to sit and listen and talk to anyone, any adversary, an ally, obviously, but anyone around the world,” he said.
Rubio stressed that any meaningful dialogue with Iran would need to address a broad range of issues, including Tehran’s ballistic missile programme, its support for militant groups across the region, its nuclear activities, and its treatment of its own population.
“As far as the topic of those discussions and what the agenda needs to be, I think in order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things. And that includes the range of their ballistic missiles. That includes their sponsorship of terrorist organisations across the region, including the nuclear programme, and that includes the treatment of their own people.”