Tehran-Washington talks to resume Friday as Trump issues new warning to Khamenei
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States and Iran are set to resume nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, Iran’s foreign minister confirmed, after logistical challenges and following a months-long hiatus triggered by the 12-day conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran in June.
The renewed engagement comes after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated that Washington had “taken out” Iran’s nuclear capabilities and warned that Iran’s supreme leader should be “very worried.”
The timetable
In a late Wednesday post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in [the Omani capital] Muscat at around 10 am [local time] on Friday.” He added, “I am grateful to our Omani brothers for making all necessary arrangements.”
In the early morning hours of Thursday, Tehran’s foreign ministry reported that Araghchi held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, discussing regional developments and “stressing the necessity of continuing consultations among regional countries to preserve peace and stability and safeguard the interests of all countries in the region.”
The Saudi foreign minister was also cited as affirming Riyadh’s “special commitment to regional peace and stability” and emphasizing “the continuation of efforts to prevent escalation of tensions.”
The ministry further relayed that Araghchi spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, noting “the commitment of regional countries to help reduce tensions and maintain peace and stability, and expressing appreciation for Egypt’s diplomatic efforts in this regard.”
The top Egyptian diplomat was also quoted as emphasizing Cairo’s “commitment to helping preserve peace and stability in the region” and expressing “Egypt’s readiness to support diplomatic processes aimed at strengthening peace and stability.”
Walking a tightrope
Araghchi’s confirmation of the talks came after reports that they were nearing collapse due to disagreements between Washington and Tehran over the venue.
The meeting was originally slated to take place between former US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials in Turkey, Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported, citing a source close to the matter.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday that Turkey, Oman, and several other regional countries had expressed readiness to host the talks, describing these offers as “very valuable” to Tehran.
Baghaei was further quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as saying that “in principle, the place and time of holding the talks are not a complicated issue,” and stressing that logistical details “should not be a basis for media play.”
However, American news website Axios late Wednesday cited several US officials as saying the anticipated talks had collapsed after Iran requested moving the talks from Turkey to Oman and holding them in a bilateral format, to focus solely on nuclear issues rather than other matters, including Tehran’s ballistic missile program.
The outlet added that while the US initially rejected the change of location, several Middle Eastern leaders lobbied the Trump administration on Wednesday to ensure the talks went ahead.
Fresh warning
The development comes as US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “should be very worried,” while confirming that Tehran “is negotiating with us.”
In an interview with NBC News aired Wednesday, Trump reiterated that Washington “wiped out their nuclear [capabilities],” adding, “If I didn’t take out the nuclear [capabilities] … we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East.”
On June 13, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting nuclear facilities and killing several high-ranking military commanders and nuclear scientists. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone strikes against Israeli targets.
Tensions escalated further when the US conducted airstrikes on June 22 against Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites. In response, Iran fired ballistic missiles at the US-operated al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. A ceasefire, brokered by Washington on June 24, has since been in effect.
Trump said Wednesday that at the time of the strikes, Tehran was a month away from acquiring a nuclear weapon but insisted, “They’re not going to have it anymore,” warning that any attempt by Iran to restart its nuclear program would prompt US intervention.
“They tried to go back to the [targeted nuclear site]; they weren’t even able to get near it - it was total obliteration,” Trump said. He added that the Iranians “were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country,” but the US has warned it would “do very bad things” if they proceeded.
Force ready
The Friday engagement is set to take place after talks between Tehran and Washington had been on hold since June 15, when the sixth round of critical nuclear negotiations was scheduled in Muscat; the 12-day conflict with Tel Aviv has since delayed them.
The talks also come after the Iranian president said Tuesday that he instructed Araghchi to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations,” provided that “a suitable environment exists - one free from threats and unreasonable expectations.”
Masoud Pezeshkian added that the move follows “requests from friendly governments in the region” to help facilitate the key talks, after a proposal by Trump to restart negotiations.
For her part, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday that the US plans to hold talks with Iranian officials this week, while leaving open the possibility that the president could resort to force if the negotiations fail.
“I just spoke with Special Envoy Witkoff, and these talks as of right now are still scheduled,” Leavitt told reporters outside the West Wing, as cited by AFP, adding that they are expected to take place “later this week.”
In an interview with Fox News, Leavitt also said Tuesday that Trump “remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first,” while noting that he “always has a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force.”