Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place on Friday in Oman, a development that comes amid heightened tensions after Tehran’s harsh crackdown on nationwide protests last month.
Araghchi announced the meeting after hours of uncertainty, during which the format and scope of the talks appeared to be in flux. Iranian officials had sought a meeting focused exclusively on Iran’s nuclear program with only Iran and the United States participating, a narrower arrangement than one proposed earlier by Turkey, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The White House confirmed the United States will attend high-level talks in Oman rather than in Turkey, as originally planned. A U.S. official, speaking on background, said several Arab and Muslim leaders urged Washington not to abandon diplomatic engagement even as Tehran pressed to limit the agenda and change the venue. The same official added that the White House remains “very skeptical” the talks will succeed but agreed to the change out of deference to regional partners.
Ahead of the meeting, President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning aimed at Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “I would say he should be very worried,” Trump told NBC News.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been elevated in recent days. Trump suggested the United States might use force in response to Iran’s treatment of protesters, and he continues to press Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program. On Tuesday, a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier, and Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast boats attempted to impede a U.S.-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, the Navy said. Iran did not immediately acknowledge those incidents.
In Tehran, reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed the foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, the first clear public sign that Tehran wants to try negotiating. That statement was seen as indicating at least tacit support from Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over state matters and had previously dismissed talks.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio said Washington hoped to address issues beyond the nuclear file, including Iran’s ballistic missile program, support for proxy networks across the region, and “the treatment of their own people.” He added that Iran’s clerical leadership does not reflect its population, saying he knew “of no other country where there’s a bigger difference between the people who lead the country and the people who live there.”
Senator J. D. Vance, speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, described diplomacy with Tehran as complicated by Iran’s political structure, overseen by Khamenei. “It’s a very weird country to conduct diplomacy with when you can’t even talk to the person who’s in charge of the country,” he said, calling the situation “much more complicated” and “much more absurd.” Vance reiterated that Trump’s core objective is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and said the administration would try non-military measures first, but would not rule out military options if necessary.
Meanwhile, Iranian military chiefs visited a missile base Wednesday to underscore readiness. The base houses the Khorramshahr missile, which has a reported range of more than 2,000 kilometers and was displayed during prior hostilities with Israel.
Turkey, which had been working to broker the talks and was originally expected to host them, remains opposed to foreign intervention in Iran. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on a visit to Cairo, called for disputes with Iran — including the nuclear issue — to be resolved through dialogue, warning that external intervention would pose significant regional risks.
