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3. Iran Open to Discussing Missile, Proxy Issues Ahead of U.S. Talks in Muscat

Iranian officials have indicated on Thursday that they have agreed to discuss the ballistic missile and proxy group issues at Friday’s nuclear talks with U.S. officials in Muscat, Oman, according to the Jerusalem Post.

On Wednesday, the U.S. briefly signalled that it would cancel talks with Iran, with a stated reason that Iranian officials had backtracked on the agreed-upon parameters of the negotiations, including the location and the items on the agenda. The resumption occurred after Arab and Muslim countries urged U.S. participation.

Nuclear talks will remain the primary focus of the meetings, but this development marks a shift from Iran’s previous position after the U.S. agreed to resume talks.

Last week, U.S. officials had outlined three core demands for Iran: halting uranium enrichment, reeling in the ballistic missile program, and cutting support to regional proxies. Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denounced the demands as “excessive and unrealistic,” conveying that Iran was only willing to discuss the nuclear issue.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials on Tuesday to discuss their positions regarding Iran. 

Israel prioritizes the ballistic missile issue as a core area of concern following Israel’s June 2025 attacks which crippled Iran’s nuclear program and its crackdown on the capabilities of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Iran has reportedly recovered its ballistic missile arsenal nearly to pre-12 Day War levels and is currently the most potent threat Iran can yield against Israel.

With the U.S. and Israel aligning positions on Iran, expanding talks beyond the nuclear issue is an increasingly important item on the U.S. agenda, and shaping how both the U.S. and Iran participate in mutual discussion.