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Iran and the United States met in Oman for talks Friday, the first time since Washington joined Israel’s 12-day bombing campaign of the Islamic Republic in June. The negotiations around Tehran’s nuclear programme take place under threat of further US military action as an American aircraft carrier group draws closer to Iran. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
'They don’t trust the United States': Iran wary ahead of Oman nuclear talks
FRANCE 24 Tehran correspondent Reza Sayah talks about the likely sticking points in the fresh round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran in Oman Friday – the first since the US joined in Israel’s bombing campaign of Iran last June during the previous round of negotiations.
Iran FM meets Oman counterpart ahead of US talks
Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart in Muscat, ahead of Oman-mediated talks with the United States on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.
Araghchi and Badr al-Busaidi "discussed the most important bilateral, regional, and international issues", reported Iranian news agency Mehr, which published a photo of the two diplomats seated at a table with their national flags on it.
Oman previously served as a mediator between Iran and the United States in nuclear negotiations held in 2025. The negotiations broke off after Israel launched a 12-day bombing campaign of Iran alongside the US.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Muscat, Oman, February 6, 2026. Iranian Foreign Ministry/West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Iran and US prepare for high-stakes talks in Oman
Iran and the United States are set to hold high-stakes negotiations in Oman over Tehran’s nuclear programme, but a dispute over the agenda – most notably differences over Tehran’s formidable missile programme – suggests progress will be hard-won, with the threat of another Middle East war looming.
While both sides have signalled readiness to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Washington wants the talks to cover Iran’s nuclear programme, its ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and "treatment of their own people", US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.
Iran has said it wants Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss only nuclear issues in Muscat.
The US in June struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Tehran has since said its uranium enrichment work has stopped.
Iran’s FM calls for 'mutual respect' ahead of talks with US
Iran’s foreign minister called for "mutual respect" ahead of talks with the United States on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme and other issues.
"Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year. We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights," Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.
"Commitments need to be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric – they are a must and the pillars of a durable agreement."
Yesterday’s key developments:
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Oman on Thursday for negotiations with President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
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Iran’s foreign ministry said Thursday evening that it had a "responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy" to preserve peace, adding it hoped Washington would participate in the discussions "with responsibility, realism and seriousness".
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"They’re negotiating," Trump said of Iran on Thursday. "They don’t want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there," he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an "armada".
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AFP and AP)
