1. Home
2. Middle East
3. Iran–U.S. Talks Begin in Oman as Tehran Warns Against “Excessive Demands”

Iran and the United States began talks on Friday in Oman, with discussions limited to Iran’s nuclear programme, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a source described as knowledgeable about Middle East affairs.

The source said Washington accepted Iran’s conditions after mediation by regional countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. He warned that Iran is ready for a regional conflict if its conditions for the negotiation framework are rejected.

The U.S. has not issued any official statement confirming whether it has stepped back from its earlier demand to include other issues, such as Iran’s ballistic missile programme and the activities of its regional allies.

The source added that regional states “do not want a domineering neighbour, but they understand that an attack on Iran would harm the region.”

Iran Ready to “Defend Itself”

Iran is ready to defend itself against "excessive demands or adventurism" by the U.S., Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday before talks with U.S. officials began.

The Islamic republic will take the "approach of using diplomacy to secure Iran's national interests,” Araghchi said during a meeting in Muscat with Badr al-Busaidi, foreign minister of Oman.

Before the Oman-mediated talks began, Iran insisted that they center solely on its nuclear programme, while the U.S. also sought to discuss Tehran's backing for militant groups in the region and its ballistic missile programme.

The talks are the first since the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear facilities last June during a 12-day war with Israel that ended a previous round of discussions. The Iranian delegation is being led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is representing the United States.