Nuclear talks between the United States and Iran are expected to take place in Oman on Friday, according to a regional diplomat, as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
The discussions come amid a standoff marked by mutual threats of airstrikes, heightened military deployments, and growing fears of a broader conflict.
President Donald Trump has warned that “bad things” could happen if a deal is not reached, increasing pressure on Tehran in the ongoing negotiations. Iran, meanwhile, has insisted it will not make concessions on its ballistic missile program, describing it as a “red line” in talks.
The Trump administration agreed to Iran’s request to move the negotiations from Turkey to Oman. Discussions are ongoing regarding whether other Arab and Muslim countries from the region will participate in the talks, Axios reporter Barak Ravid reported Tuesday, citing an Arab source.
Iran is reportedly pushing for bilateral talks only with the United States. Initially, ministers from countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates were expected to attend.
The US military reported an incident on Tuesday in which an Iranian drone “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, highlighting the volatile security situation.
President Trump confirmed the negotiations at the White House, stating, “We are negotiating with them right now,” but declined to provide further details, including the location of the talks.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would participate, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
The talks follow Iran’s violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations last month—the deadliest unrest in the country since the 1979 revolution.
While Trump stopped short of military intervention, he has demanded nuclear concessions from Iran and deployed a US naval flotilla to the region as a show of force.
