Iran Confirms Indirect Talks with US in Oman

The Iranian mission to the United Nations confirmed that indirect talks between the US and Iran in Oman are an "ongoing process."

According to representatives from the mission, the discussions are part of a series that "neither are the first nor will they be the last."

Biden administration officials including the President’s top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk and the acting US envoy for Iran, Abram Paley, are part of the discussions tackling core issues with the country the US last year branded the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.

Since the Iran-backed Hamas attack on Israel last October, proxies supported by Iran have carried out over 200 attacks against US forces, blaming the US for supporting Israel’s right to defend itself following the invasion which killed 1,200 in a single day.

The talks in Oman also touched on Iran's nuclear ambitions, with recent threats from Tehran to potentially pursue atomic weapons adding urgency to the discussions. The UN’s nuclear chief recently said Iran was weeks rather than months from a nuclear weapon. 

Similar discussions took place in January between the same parties. During that period, tensions were escalating between Israel and Iran, with Tehran-supported Yemeni Houthi forces launching attacks on international commercial vessels in the Red Sea.