Talks with the US will be held in Muscat: Iran announces

Tehran: (Agency) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has announced that nuclear talks with the US will be held in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Friday morning at around 10 am. In the same context, a White House official also confirmed that the US will negotiate with Iran on its nuclear program in Oman on Friday. Earlier, reports had emerged that the talks were on the verge of failure due to disagreements over the venue and procedure. A US official told Al-Arabiya that the decision to maintain the meeting with the Iranians was made to keep the diplomatic route safe. He added that the allied countries had also requested to give diplomacy with Iran a chance.

Earlier on Wednesday, US officials had stated, regarding the website access, that plans for talks with Tehran were ending. According to two US officials, the US had informed Iran on Wednesday that it rejects Iran's demands for changes in the venue and format of the talks scheduled for Friday. The officials clarified that Washington had considered a request to change the venue of the talks from Turkey to Oman but decided to reject it on Wednesday. A senior US official said, "We told them it's either the agreed-upon procedure or nothing, and they said okay, then nothing."

The official also said that the US is ready to negotiate this week or next, provided Iran agrees to return to the previously agreed formula. He added, "We want to reach a real agreement quickly, or we will start considering other options." This was a hint at President Donald Trump's threats of military action.

Previously, the US and Iran had agreed to hold talks in Istanbul on Friday, in which other Middle Eastern countries would participate as observers. However, Iran announced through official news agencies that talks between Iran and the US would be held in Muscat, Oman, attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff.

Iranian sources said that the talks would be based on the same formula as previous rounds. The talks would be limited to the nuclear file and the lifting of sanctions on Iran and would not discuss other issues, such as the missile program, which is a priority for the US and regional countries. Iran emphasized that the talks should be limited to the nuclear file, as it seeks a diplomatic solution. Tehran has rejected any negotiations on its missile program or defense capabilities.

The agreement on talks between Washington and Tehran came after President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran, while Tehran also warned of a strong response to any attack.

An official stated in his statements to Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that the decision to maintain the meeting with the Iranians was made to keep the diplomatic route safe, adding that the allied countries had also requested to give diplomacy with Iran a chance.

Before that, Axios website sources had also confirmed that US-Iran talks would be held in Oman on Friday. On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that nuclear talks with the US are scheduled to take place in Muscat on Friday, confirming that the meeting would take place at around 10 am.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the US has asked Israel to be patient and refrain from any premature action, such as a pre-emptive strike on Iran, during the negotiations. An Israeli official told the newspaper that the level of coordination between the parties is extremely deep and almost unprecedented. He added that the number of Israeli officers visiting the US and US officers visiting Israel is very high.

Regarding the absence of European countries from the talks, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told Al-Arabiya in an exclusive interview that Paris believes in diplomacy. However, he indicated that sanctions on Iran can only be lifted in cooperation with European countries. Confavreux said, "It's good news that diplomacy is being activated, but future steps, such as lifting sanctions, can only be completed with the Europeans. You know that we have been very active, along with Germany and the UK, in the form of the 'European Trio' over the past 20 years, so European participation will be necessary at a certain stage in the progress of the negotiations with Iran."

He added, "We have always been in favor of diplomacy, and this is what we said when we reactivated the 'snapback' mechanism last year... Our hand is always extended for diplomacy because we believe that this is the only way to a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear and ballistic programs and the regional environment."