Iranian foreign minister heads to Oman for nuclear talks with US

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA)—The top Iranian diplomat departed for Oman at the head of a diplomatic delegation to take part in nuclear talks with the US, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Thursday evening.

“Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left for Muscat to conduct nuclear negotiations with the United States,” the ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in a statement on US social media company X.

Baqaei said Iran is pursuing the diplomatic effort “with determination” and with the aim of reaching a “fair, acceptable and respectful understanding” on the nuclear issue.

Iran sees it as its responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy to safeguard the interests of the Iranian people and preserve peace and stability in the region, he added.

The spokesman also expressed appreciation for “the constructive role” played by neighboring and regional countries in facilitating the process and said Tehran hopes the US side will participate “with responsibility, realism and seriousness.”

Washington and Tehran are scheduled to hold nuclear negotiations in the Omani capital on Friday. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff will represent the US side.

The negotiations had been cast into doubt earlier this week, but a White House official confirmed to Anadolu that they would, in fact, be taking place.

The planned talks come amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, fueled by an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and repeated threats of military action by President Donald Trump.

In recent days, several countries have stepped in and offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington to ease tensions, with Türkiye playing a particularly active role.

The US and its ally Israel accuse Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its nuclear program is designed for peaceful purposes, including electricity generation.