US and Iran to meet in Oman on Friday for nuclear talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has announced that high-level talks with the United States will take place in Oman this week. According to a statement posted on social media, the talks are scheduled for 10am in Muscat on Friday. The announcement comes after reports suggested earlier that the meeting was at risk due to disagreements over format and location.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had previously instructed his foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations”. The United States has confirmed its participation in the talks, which will take place in Oman instead of Turkey as originally planned. Mediators from Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt have presented a framework of key principles for discussion, including Iran’s commitment to limit uranium enrichment.

The proposed framework also includes restrictions on the use of ballistic missiles and the arming of Iran’s allies in the region. The talks are taking place amid tensions in the region, with the United States having ordered forces to assemble in the Arabian Sea following a violent crackdown by Iran on protesters last month. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Washington hopes to discuss concerns beyond Iran’s nuclear program, including ballistic missiles and support for proxy networks.

This is not the first time Iranian and US officials have met to revive diplomacy between the two nations, which have not had official diplomatic relations since 1980. Previous talks in Oman in June stalled due to Israel launching attacks on Iran, leading to a brief US involvement in the war.

Source: Al Jazeera