Senior US and Iranian officials are meeting in Oman for direct talks aimed at defusing a crisis that has raised fears of a wider military confrontation.
The discussions follow a US military buildup in the region after Iran’s violent crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests last month, an operation rights groups say killed thousands and saw tens of thousands arrested. Initial uncertainty over where and how the meeting would take place threatened to derail the diplomatic effort; regional mediators pushed to keep the talks on track.
The two sides remain far apart on key issues. Washington is demanding that Iran freeze its nuclear programme and surrender its stockpile of enriched uranium, and wants the talks to also cover Iran’s ballistic missiles, its backing for regional armed groups, and human rights abuses. Tehran insists the talks should be limited to its nuclear activities and has resisted calls to hand over roughly 400kg of highly enriched uranium or to curtail its missile programme and regional alliances.
President Donald Trump has warned that military action is on the table if diplomacy fails. The United States has deployed thousands of troops and what Mr Trump described as an “armada” to the region, including an aircraft carrier, other warships and fighter jets. Iran has vowed to respond to any attack, threatening strikes on US military assets in the Middle East and on Israel.
Iran’s delegation is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who recently warned that Iran’s armed forces were “with their fingers on the trigger.” The US team is headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and includes Jared Kushner.
According to the account of recent events, this is the first meeting of US and Iranian officials since last June, when the US bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities; Iran has said its uranium enrichment activity stopped after that strike. For Iran’s beleaguered leadership, the talks are seen as a possible last chance to avoid US military action that could further destabilise a regime analysts say is weaker than at any time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The protests, fuelled by a worsening economic crisis and calls to end the Islamic Republic, were met with brutal force by security services. The Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, while warning the true toll could be higher.
Tehran has long maintained its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes; the US and Israel say Iran seeks a weapon. Iranian officials have signalled some openness to concessions, including proposals discussed previously for a regional consortium to handle enrichment — an idea that was under negotiation until last year’s surprise conflict.
At the same time, Iran rejects demands to halt its ballistic missile development and end support for what it terms its “Axis of Resistance” — groups such as Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen — arguing such demands violate its sovereignty.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he instructed Araghchi to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations, provided that a suitable environment exists.” Tehran is expected to press for an easing of crippling sanctions; critics of the regime argue that any relief would strengthen Iran’s clerical leaders.
For the US, a constructive outcome could provide an off-ramp from threats of military action. Regional powers have warned a US strike risks triggering a wider conflict or prolonged instability inside Iran, and note that airpower alone is unlikely to topple the country’s leadership.
Mr Trump told NBC News that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very worried.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any meaningful agreement must go beyond the nuclear issue, acknowledging the difficulty of reaching a deal but saying negotiators would try.
The talks, originally planned for Istanbul, are part of an initiative led by Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to reduce tensions. Iran requested a last-minute change to Oman, which hosted discussions last year, and asked that the meeting be limited to American and Iranian officials. The outcome of these talks could determine whether diplomacy prevails or the crisis escalates into direct conflict.