Iran US Nuclear Talks in Oman on Sanctions Amid Trump Threats

Iran and the United States will convene indirect nuclear negotiations in Oman this Friday, according to an announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The talks, scheduled to begin at approximately 10 AM in Muscat, will be mediated by Omani officials and mark a renewed diplomatic effort amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington.

The negotiations will focus exclusively on two core issues: the status of Iran’s nuclear energy program and the potential lifting of U.S. sanctions. Iranian media reports indicate that topics such as Tehran’s ballistic missile activities and its regional alliances will not be on the agenda. This limitation reflects Iran’s longstanding position that its nuclear program is peaceful and its refusal to negotiate under pressure.

The meeting follows a period of heightened military and rhetorical posturing by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has recently warned that Iran’s Supreme Leader should be “very worried,” coinciding with a U.S. decision to deploy additional military assets to the Middle East. He has also voiced support for protests in Iran, which Tehran attributes to foreign instigation by Washington and Israel. These actions have intensified diplomatic friction.

According to a report by Axios, the decision to proceed with the Oman talks was influenced by lobbying from several Middle Eastern leaders who urged the Trump administration not to abandon diplomatic channels. An unnamed U.S. official expressed skepticism to the outlet, stating, “We have told the Arabs that we will do the meeting if they insist. But we are very skeptical.”

Simultaneously, Iranian officials have sought to downplay expectations. Abbas Pazoki, deputy for communications in the office of Iran’s first vice president, described various media reports as “psychological operations” aimed at shaping public opinion and extracting concessions.

The core dispute centers onuranium enrichment. The U.S. has long pressed Iran to curb its enrichment activities, citing concerns over potential weaponization. Iran maintains its program is for civilian purposes and has insisted it will not negotiate while facing military threats or “maximum pressure” sanctions. The new talks represent a fragile opportunity to de-escalate, though significant gaps remain between the two sides’ positions. The outcome will likely depend on whether the format allows for substantive concessions without either party losing domestic face.