Oman mediates US-Iran talks over nuclear programme
Oman mediated indirect talks on Friday between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme, with convoys for the two countries arriving for meetings separately with the sultanate’s top diplomat. There was no immediate comment from either the Iranian or the American sides. Associated Press journalists saw Iranians at a palace on the outskirts of the Omani capital, Muscat, near its international airport.
The convoy left after some time to return the Iranians to their nearby hotel, with Iranian state media acknowledging Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart, Badr al-Busaidi. Only after the Iranian vehicles left did another convoy, including an SUV flying the American flag, enter the palace grounds. It stayed there for about an hour and a half before leaving. After that, Oman’s Foreign Ministry published a statement saying al-Busaidi met separately with Araghchi, then with US Mideast special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
“The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate circumstances for resuming the diplomatic and technical negotiations by ensuring the importance of these negotiations, in light of the parties’ determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability,” the Omani announcement said. It wasn’t immediately clear if that was the end of the talks for the day, though Omani officials left the palace immediately after the Americans.
The two countries returned to Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, months after rounds of meetings turned to ash following Israel’s launch of a 12-day war against Iran back in June. The US bombed Iranian nuclear sites during that war, likely destroying many of the centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity. Israel’s attacks devastated Iran’s air defences and targeted its ballistic missile arsenal as well.
The same palace had been used by Oman in earlier talks between Iran and the US in 2025. The talks on Friday come after a chaotic week that initially saw plans for regional countries to take part in talks in Turkiye. US officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio believe Iran’s theocracy is now at its weakest point since its 1979 Islamic Revolution after nationwide protests last month represented the greatest challenge to 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule.
Khamenei’s forces responded with a bloody crackdown that killed thousands and reportedly saw tens of thousands arrested - and spurred new military threats by US President Donald Trump to target the country. With the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships in the region, along with more fighter jets, the US now likely has the military firepower to launch an attack if it wanted.
But whether attacks could be enough to force Iran to change its ways — or potentially topple its Government — remains far from a sure thing. Meanwhile, Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could spark a regional war, dragging them in as well. That threat is real — already, US forces shot down an Iranian drone near the Lincoln, and Iran attempted to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shaking hands with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Muscat, Oman.
