Indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear program will take place on Friday in Oman, following a volatile sequence of cancellations, military signaling, and diplomatic pressure that ultimately ended with Washington accepting Iran’s terms.
The talks were originally scheduled to be held in Istanbul on Friday. Tehran, however, pushed for the venue to be moved to Muscat, Oman—where indirect talks were held last year—and rejected U.S. demands that discussions also include Iran’s ballistic missile program and its regional alliances alongside the nuclear file.
According to multiple media reports, Iran formally canceled the Istanbul talks on Wednesday after Washington issued what was described as a “take it or leave it” ultimatum insisting on its expanded agenda. Tehran responded by walking away from the negotiations altogether.
Following the collapse of the talks, reports emerged that a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, centered on the USS George W. Bush, had begun moving toward the region to reinforce the USS Gerald R. Ford, which is already deployed. The rapid military buildup fueled speculation that the diplomatic breakdown could lead to a direct confrontation.
President Donald Trump added to the tension when asked whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be concerned. Trump responded affirmatively, a remark widely interpreted as either a direct threat against Iran’s leadership or a signal that military action remained on the table.
However, late Wednesday night, the situation shifted again. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that talks would proceed after all—this time in Oman and limited strictly to the nuclear issue, matching Iran’s original conditions.
Media reports indicated that Washington agreed to Tehran’s demands following pressure from regional Arab states, many of which urged the U.S. not to abandon diplomacy amid rising risks of escalation. Arab governments hosting U.S. military bases have increasingly sought to distance themselves from any potential conflict.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan have all publicly declared neutrality in the event of a U.S.–Iran war and have stated they would not allow their airspace to be used for attacks on Iran, significantly constraining U.S. military options.
Washington’s acceptance of both the Omani venue and Iran’s insistence on limiting the scope of talks has been widely viewed as a retreat by the Trump administration in this round of high-stakes brinkmanship, marking a tactical win for Tehran in a broader contest of diplomatic resolve.
Tensions nevertheless remain high. Over the past 24 hours, reports surfaced of an attempted seizure of a U.S.-flagged oil tanker by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), followed by the U.S. Navy shooting down an Iranian surveillance drone over the Arabian Sea.
Iran has repeatedly warned that any attack against it would not be met with the restrained responses seen in previous confrontations. Iranian officials have stated that a war would be regional in scope and carry severe economic consequences, particularly if Iran were to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which up to a third of the world’s daily oil exports pass.