Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent
Senior US and Iranian officials are expected to meet in Oman for direct talks amid a crisis that has raised fears of military confrontation.
The discussions follow a US military build-up in the region after Iran’s violent repression of nationwide anti-government protests last month, which human rights groups say killed many thousands of people. Uncertainty over the meeting’s location and scope had threatened to derail the talks, part of a diplomatic push by regional mediators to de-escalate tensions.
Both sides remain far apart. The US is demanding that Iran freeze its nuclear programme and discard its stockpile of enriched uranium, and has said talks should also address Iran’s ballistic missiles, its support for regional armed groups, and its treatment of citizens. Iran says the discussions will be limited to its nuclear programme; it is unclear whether those differences have been resolved.
President Donald Trump has threatened military action if no deal is reached. The US 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 with force, threatening strikes on American military assets in the Middle East and on Israel.
The Iranian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who warned last week that Iran’s armed forces were “with their fingers on the trigger”. The US team will be headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and will include Jared Kushner.
This will be the first meeting involving US and Iranian officials since the war last June, when the US bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities, after which Iran says its uranium enrichment activity stopped. For Iran’s embattled leadership, the talks could be a last chance to avert US military action that might further destabilise a regime analysts say is weaker than at any time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The demonstrations, driven by a deepening economic crisis and calls for the end of the Islamic Republic, were brutally repressed by security forces. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a Washington-based group, said it had confirmed at least 6,883 deaths and warned the toll could be much higher, with more than 50,000 people arrested.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes; the US and Israel accuse it of seeking a weapon. Tehran rejects demands to transfer its roughly 400kg (880lb) stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country and says it has the right to enrich uranium domestically. Officials have signalled openness to concessions, such as creating a regional consortium for enrichment—a proposal discussed in earlier talks that collapsed when Israel launched its surprise war last year.
At the same time, Iran says demands to curtail its ballistic missile programme and end support for its regional “Axis of Resistance” — including Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen — are unacceptable and violate its sovereignty.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed Araghchi to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations, provided that a suitable environment exists.” Iran is expected to seek lifting of crippling sanctions; opponents of the regime argue any relief would provide a lifeline to clerical rulers.
For the US, a productive meeting could offer an off-ramp from military threats. Regional powers warn a US strike could trigger wider conflict or prolonged chaos in Iran, and caution that air power alone is unlikely to topple Iran’s leadership.
Asked if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, Mr Trump told NBC News: “I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any meaningful outcome would need to go beyond the nuclear issue. “I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out,” he said.
The talks, initially planned for Istanbul, are part of an effort led by Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to defuse tensions. Iran requested at the last minute that the location be changed to Oman, which hosted discussions last year, and that the meeting be limited to Iranian and American officials.
The US negotiators will be led by special envoy Steve Witkoff (left), while the Iranian team is headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
