U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, on Friday—signaling the potential restart of nuclear negotiations amid rising tensions between the adversaries. The meeting marked the two sides’ first formal diplomatic discussions since U.S. President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 during the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
The meeting was initially planned to be held in Turkey, with foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia also set to attend. But Iran successfully pushed to move the venue to Muscat and to exclude representatives from those other countries. Axios reported that, according to two unnamed sources, U.S. and Iranian officials met directly during the talks. The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to Foreign Policy’s requests for comment.
U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, on Friday—signaling the potential restart of nuclear negotiations amid rising tensions between the adversaries. The meeting marked the two sides’ first formal diplomatic discussions since U.S. President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 during the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
The meeting was initially planned to be held in Turkey, with foreign ministers from Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia also set to attend. But Iran successfully pushed to move the venue to Muscat and to exclude representatives from those other countries. Axios reported that, according to two unnamed sources, U.S. and Iranian officials met directly during the talks. The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to Foreign Policy’s requests for comment.
Talks are off to a “good start,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday, adding that consultations regarding next steps must now be held in Washington and Tehran. However, Araghchi also warned that “mistrust” between the two countries is posing a “serious challenge” to negotiations.
“We did note that nuclear talks and the resolution of the main issues must take place in a calm atmosphere, without tension and without threats,” he said. “The prerequisite for any dialogue is refraining from threats and pressure.”
Restraint may be difficult to come by. For the first time, the United States brought its top military commander in the Middle East to the negotiating table. The participation of U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, served as a stark reminder of Washington’s military presence in the region.
Read more in today’s World Brief: U.S.-Iran Indirect Nuclear Talks Fail to Make Significant Progress.
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