"Earlier Wednesday, a report surfaced that negotiations between the sides were falling apart over disagreements about the format and venue, raising doubts about the talks' fate."
"Despite the confirmation of the talks, there was no indication that the sides had found common ground on the agenda. Iran has pushed to restrict the negotiations to discussing its long-running nuclear dispute with Western countries. However, on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented a different view, telling reporters, "If the Iranians want to meet, we're ready." He added that talks would have to include Iran's ballistic missile program, its support for armed proxy groups in the Middle East, and its treatment of its own people, in addition to nuclear issues. Meanwhile, a senior Iranian official told the Reuters news agency that Iran's missile program was "off the table." Another senior Iranian official said that Tehran would welcome negotiations over the nuclear dispute, but US insistence on addressing non-nuclear issues could jeopardize the talks."
""I'm grateful to our Omani brothers for making all the necessary arrangements," he wrote on X."
Iran and the United States confirmed a meeting in Muscat on Friday to hold nuclear-related talks after earlier reports suggested negotiations were collapsing over format and venue disputes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi thanked Oman for arranging the meeting, and White House officials also confirmed the Muscat venue. The two sides remain divided on the agenda: Iran seeks talks limited to the nuclear dispute while US officials insist on including ballistic missiles, support for proxy groups, and human rights. Iranian officials said the missile program was off the table and warned that US demands on non-nuclear issues could jeopardize negotiations. President Trump continued to increase pressure on Iran's supreme leader.
Read at www.dw.com
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