Iran’s foreign minister said on Sunday that Tehran’s right to enrich uranium on its own soil must be recognized for nuclear talks with the United States to succeed, two days after the two sides held indirect discussions in Muscat aimed at testing whether diplomacy can be revived.
Iran’s leadership is edging toward a war scenario not because diplomacy is necessarily collapsing, but because confrontation is increasingly seen as the least damaging option for a ruling system under intense internal and external pressure.
As Iran and the US convene in Oman for bilateral talks, reports suggest Muslim-majority states are pushing for a framework that would include a non-aggression pact, curbs on Iran’s nuclear program and its arms support for allied militants, and reassurances on its missiles.
As Iran and the United States reshuffle the format and venue of their talks amid military threats, deep mistrust, and hardline red lines, skepticism over a breakthrough appears widespread.
A day of confusion, warnings and behind-the-scenes maneuvering ended with a fresh announcement that US–Iran talks were back on track, underscoring how fragile and contested the diplomatic process remains on the eve of a possible meeting.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on Washington’s demand that any talks with Iran extend well beyond its nuclear program, while expressing doubt that negotiations would ultimately succeed.
Monday’s cautious optimism about renewed US–Iran diplomacy took several blows on Tuesday, as Tehran reportedly signaled fresh conditions for talks and Iranian and American forces clashed at sea.
Regional powers including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Oman are trying to bring Iran and the United States to talks in Istanbul on Friday, officials say, to stave off war – starting with Tehran’s nuclear file despite a wide gap over US demands on missiles and allied militias.
President Donald Trump on Thursday delivered a characteristically ambiguous message on Iran, pairing talk of overwhelming military force with renewed signals that he may still favor a negotiated deal.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran was ready for diplomacy and said he hoped there would be results soon, as Iran weighs possible talks with the United States.
Iran showed no sign of shifting its stance toward the United States at a joint press conference with Turkey on Friday, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran had no plan to meet US officials and would not negotiate under threats or preconditions.
Iran’s nuclear chief said on Wednesday that if Iran’s nuclear sites have been bombed and destroyed, the International Atomic Energy Agency has no grounds to demand continued oversight.
The Trump administration wants Tehran to halt its nuclear “escalations,” ballistic missile program and support for regional proxy groups, a spokesperson for the Department of State told Iran International on Monday.
The UN nuclear watchdog’s chief warned Tuesday that a standoff with Iran over inspections and its near-bomb-grade uranium stockpiles cannot continue indefinitely, raising the prospect that Tehran could be declared in non-compliance with its obligations.
President Donald Trump would likely authorize more US attacks if Iran advances its nuclear or missile programs, Republican senators told Jewish Insider.
European governments are using disputes over Iran’s alleged role in Ukraine and the nuclear dossier to justify tougher measures against Iran, Russia’s ambassador to Tehran told state media.
The US Treasury on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on individuals and firms in Iran and Venezuela, accusing them of facilitating weapons transfers, including Iranian-made combat drones for Venezuela and procurement networks tied to Iran’s missile program.
Iran’s foreign minister appealed directly to Donald Trump in a Guardian op-ed on Tuesday, urging him to reopen negotiations with Tehran, reconsider Washington’s alignment with Israel and acknowledge what he described as Iran’s invincibility.
A senior aide to Iran’s supreme leader warned on Monday that any new aggression would draw a harsher response, following comments by US President Donald Trump about possible further attacks on Iran.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would support possible Israeli strikes on Iran if the Islamic Republic develops its ballistic missile or nuclear programs, warning Tehran against rebuilding military capabilities destroyed in a brief June war.
Iraq is seeking to broker a face-to-face meeting between Iranian and US officials in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Saturday, more than six months after Israeli and US attacks on Iran put bilateral talks on hold.
Western hostility toward Tehran stems from its challenge to the global order rather than its nuclear program, Iran’s supreme leader said, arguing that the core dispute is ideological.