Iran is pushing to shift planned nuclear talks with the U.S. from Turkey to Oman and keep them tightly focused around nuclear talks. The move muddies the diplomatic waters as Washington ramps up its military presence and the region grows jittery over drone run-ins and risks to shipping routes
Iran has sought to change both the venue and the scope of planned talks with the United States later this week, asking that discussions be held in Oman instead of Turkey and confined strictly to nuclear issues, as reported by Reuters in an exclusive report. The move throws a new wrench into already fragile diplomacy between the two countries.
The talks were originally scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, but Iran’s demand comes as Washington continues to build up its military presence in the region.
Regional governments have been urging restraint and dialogue to defuse a standoff that has seen threats of air strikes from both sides. Those worries intensified on Tuesday when the US military
shot down an Iranian drone that it said had “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.
US President Donald Trump, who warned earlier this week that “bad things” would likely happen if a deal with Iran could not be reached, said on Tuesday that negotiations were already under way. “We are negotiating with them right now,” he told reporters at the White House, while declining to give further details or confirm the location of the talks.
According to Reuters, Tehran is pushing to fundamentally reshape the discussions. The United States, by contrast, has been pressing to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for regional proxy groups.
The White House said talks were still expected to take place later this week. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said consultations over the venue were ongoing, with Turkey, Oman and several other countries offering to host. Earlier reports had suggested that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were expected to participate.
Several regional ministers, including from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, had also been expected to attend. However, Tehran now wants the talks to be strictly bilateral with Washington, as per Reuters.
What triggered Washington’s show of force around Iran?
The US military buildup follows Iran’s
violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month. While Trump ultimately stopped short of military intervention, he has since demanded nuclear concessions and dispatched naval forces closer to Iran’s coast.
Iran’s leadership is concerned that a US strike could undermine its hold on power by reigniting public anger. Tensions were also evident at sea on Tuesday when Iran’s Revolutionary Guard harassed a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz before a US Navy warship escorted it to safety.
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