Daijiworld Media Network - Muscat
Muscat, Feb 6: Iran and the United States have initiated high-stakes indirect negotiations through Omani mediation in an effort to bridge deep differences over Tehran’s nuclear programme, even as disputes over the scope of talks threaten to derail diplomacy and trigger a wider Middle East conflict.
An Iranian official told Reuters that formal talks had not yet begun, though Iran’s demands had been conveyed to Washington via Oman. The official said indirect negotiations could begin after a meeting between the chief U.S. negotiator and Oman’s foreign minister, with shuttle diplomacy expected to be adopted as in previous engagements.
While both sides have expressed willingness to revive diplomacy over Iran’s long-running nuclear standoff with the West, Washington has pushed to broaden the agenda to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme, its support for armed groups in the region and human rights concerns. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that these issues must be addressed.
Iran has firmly rejected any discussion on its missile capabilities, describing them as a red line, and has reiterated its demand for recognition of its right to enrich uranium. The United States, however, has maintained that uranium enrichment inside Iran remains a non-negotiable red line.
An Iranian diplomatic source warned that the presence of U.S. Central Command or regional military officials in the process could jeopardise the indirect talks. Tehran has said it wants discussions in Muscat to be limited strictly to the nuclear issue, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff leading the engagement. Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is also expected to be involved.
The talks come amid heightened tensions following a major U.S. naval buildup near Iran, which Trump has described as a massive “armada”. Tehran remains concerned that Washington could still resort to military action, particularly after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities in June during the final phase of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Iran has since claimed that its uranium enrichment activities have stopped.
Trump has warned that “bad things” could happen if diplomacy fails, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president has multiple options beyond negotiations. World powers and regional states fear that a collapse of talks could lead to another U.S.-Iran conflict with serious repercussions for the oil-rich region.
The Kremlin, an ally of Iran, said it hoped the negotiations would lead to de-escalation and urged all sides to exercise restraint. Iran, meanwhile, has warned Gulf Arab nations hosting U.S. bases that they could be targeted if involved in any attack.
Ahead of the talks, Iranian state television reported the deployment of the Khorramshahr-4, one of Iran’s most advanced long-range ballistic missiles, at an underground Revolutionary Guards missile facility. However, Iranian officials have signalled flexibility on uranium enrichment, including the possible handover of 400 kg of highly enriched uranium and acceptance of zero enrichment under a consortium framework.
Iran has also demanded the lifting of sanctions reimposed after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018. The U.S., its European allies and Israel continue to accuse Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, a charge Iran denies, insisting its programme is for peaceful purposes.
Israel has repeatedly equated Iran’s missile arsenal with its nuclear ambitions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier warned that Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its large missile stockpile posed an existential threat.
Iran’s regional influence has weakened in recent years, with several allied groups under the so-called “Axis of Resistance” suffering setbacks amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Syria.