Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has departed for the Omani capital Muscat at the head of a diplomatic delegation to participate in nuclear talks with the United States scheduled for Friday, Iranian officials said, marking a renewed attempt to test the prospects for diplomacy amid heightened regional tensions.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the talks will be held in Oman, a country that has long served as a discreet intermediary between Tehran and Washington during periods of strained relations. Officials on both sides confirmed the meeting, despite persistent disagreements over the scope of the negotiations.
Baghaei said Iran would engage in the talks “with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue,” while reiterating Tehran’s position that discussions should be limited strictly to its nuclear program. He added that Iran hopes the United States will approach the talks “with responsibility, realism and seriousness.”
Washington, however, has signaled that it wants broader negotiations. U.S. officials have insisted that any agreement must also address Iran’s ballistic missile program, a demand Tehran has repeatedly rejected, arguing that its missile capabilities are defensive and non-negotiable.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump views Friday’s meeting as a test of whether a deal with Iran is possible. At the same time, she underscored the administration’s hardline posture, warning that diplomacy is not the only option available to Washington.
“While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world,” Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.
The talks come against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East, as the United States continues to bolster its military presence in the region and regional powers work to prevent a direct confrontation that could spiral into a broader conflict. Analysts say the Oman talks reflect both sides’ desire to keep diplomatic channels open, even as mutual distrust and sharply differing expectations continue to complicate the path toward any comprehensive agreement.
