The United States and Iran are set to hold talks in Oman on Friday, February 6 as both sides attempt to ease rising tensions, a regional official has said according to a new report by Reuters.
The meeting was moved from Turkey at Tehran’s request, with Iran insisting that discussions be limited strictly to its nuclear programme.
According to the official, Iran pushed for Oman as the venue to maintain continuity with previous nuclear negotiations held there and to prevent talks from expanding into other contentious areas such as its ballistic missile programme. Tehran has repeatedly described its missile capabilities as a red line and has ruled out any concessions on the issue.
Iran has warned that it would deploy its missiles to defend itself if its security comes under threat, noting that it rebuilt its missile stockpile after coming under attack from Israel last year.
The regional official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Iran has maintained from the outset that it would only engage in talks focused on its nuclear activities, while Washington has sought to include additional issues on the agenda.
Tensions between the two countries have intensified in recent days, with oil prices rising after the United States shot down an Iranian drone and armed Iranian boats approached a US-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents revived fears of a potential military escalation.
US President Donald Trump has warned that “bad things” could happen if a deal is not reached, increasing pressure amid a standoff marked by mutual threats of air strikes and concerns over a broader conflict.
On Tuesday, the US military confirmed it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Trump later told reporters at the White House, “We are negotiating with them right now,” but declined to provide details on the location or scope of the talks.
Sources familiar with the situation said Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is expected to take part in the discussions alongside US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. While ministers from several regional countries had initially been expected to attend, Iran reportedly insisted on bilateral talks with Washington only.
The talks come against the backdrop of heightened US military activity in the Middle East following Iran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month, described as the deadliest since the 1979 revolution. The United States has also reinforced its naval presence near Iran’s coast as Trump continues to press Tehran for nuclear concessions.