Iran and US to resume nuclear talks in Oman as protests, military tensions escalate

Tehran: Iran and the United States are to resume indirect nuclear negotiations in Muscat on Friday, Iranian media reported on Wednesday, as tensions soar following a deadly crackdown on protests and increased US military deployments in the region.

Rights groups say the protests, suppressed under a weeks‑long internet blackout, have led to an unprecedented mass killing. Tehran has officially acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths, while the US‑based Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has confirmed 6,872 fatalities, mostly protesters shot by security forces, with other organisations warning the real figure is likely far higher.

Tasnim news agency said the talks in the Omani capital would be “indirect” and confined to Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions, after earlier suggestions the meeting could be held in NATO member Turkey. ISNA news agency reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will lead Tehran’s delegation, joined by senior diplomats Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi.

On the US side, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will represent Washington, with Iranian media indicating that President Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner may also attend.

Washington seeks broader deal; Tehran insists on nuclear Talks

The renewed talks come as Washington has deployed a battlegroup led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East after Iran’s security forces crushed anti‑government protests. Iran has threatened retaliation against US bases and vessels in the region if it is attacked, while Trump has not ruled out further military action against the Islamic republic should negotiations fail, following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s June war with Iran.

Trump’s initial messages to Tehran last month urged Iran’s leadership to “stop killing” protesters and to halt executions, but his priority has shifted to securing a new accord on Iran’s nuclear programme, which the US and its allies say is geared towards producing an atomic bomb. Washington is also seeking to curb Iran’s backing for regional proxy forces and to limit its extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles.

Iranian officials, however, insist any dialogue must remain strictly focused on the nuclear file and sanctions relief, and not touch on missiles or wider defence capabilities. A regional source with knowledge of the preparations said Tehran is pushing for talks “exclusively” with the United States, without the participation of regional powers and confined to the nuclear issue.

On Tuesday, Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that he had directed the foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, marking the first clear indication from Tehran of its willingness to engage in talks.

Oman emerges as venue after Turkey mediation 

An Arab diplomat said early indications had pointed to Turkey as a potential host, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan keen to mediate despite often fraught relations with Tehran, but Oman now appears set to host the meeting, pending final agreement on the scope of discussions. “A meeting is requested in Oman by the Iranians, and the Americans have approved the location, but the parameters of discussions are still being worked on,” the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that Witkoff is still expected “to have conversations with the Iranians late this week,” despite the shooting down of an Iranian drone that approached the Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East on Tuesday. Witkoff, a former real estate mogul, holds multiple foreign‑policy roles under Trump and is also involved in efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Araghchi and Witkoff previously led five rounds of nuclear talks last year before the process collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign two days before a planned sixth round, sparking a 12‑day war.

Tense atmosphere in Iran ahead of talks

The mood in Iran is described as tense and febrile after the bloodshed and communications blackout. Tehran municipality issued a statement on Wednesday reassuring residents that loud noises in the city centre were linked to a religious holiday, seeking to quash rumours of fresh unrest or attacks.

New billboards in the capital depict American aircraft crashed into a hillside while Iranians wave the flag of the Islamic republic above, reflecting the hardline messaging of the authorities. Fars news agency, which is considered close to Iran’s security forces, has recently published images of US bases across the Middle East without comment, in a further signal of defiance as both sides prepare to return to the negotiating table.