US and Iran Launch High-Stakes Indirect Nuclear Talks in Oman to Avert Regional Conflict

2026-02-06 global

Muscat, Friday, 6 February 2026.
Indirect negotiations commenced Friday in Muscat to de-escalate tensions, but the session reportedly concluded after just 90 minutes amid sharp disagreements over expanding the agenda beyond nuclear issues.

Diplomatic Impasse in Muscat

Following the military escalation in the Arabian Sea earlier this week, where the U.S. Navy intercepted an Iranian drone, attention shifted to the diplomatic track in Oman. However, initial indicators suggest significant friction. The indirect talks, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, officially began on Friday morning but reportedly concluded abruptly [1][7]. A motorcade believed to be carrying the American delegation—led by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner—was observed leaving the negotiation site approximately 90 minutes after their arrival [2][7][8]. This rapid departure highlights the immense difficulty of bridging the gap between Washington and Tehran, despite Omani efforts to facilitate a dialogue aimed at preventing a recurrence of the June 2025 war [1][4].

A Clash of Agendas

The primary obstacle threatening these negotiations is a fundamental disagreement over the scope of the talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat with a strict mandate to discuss only the nuclear file, specifically aiming to lift sanctions reimposed since 2018 [1][8]. Conversely, the United States is pushing for a far more comprehensive agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explicitly stated earlier this week that any meaningful dialogue must expand to cover Iran’s ballistic missile program, its sponsorship of regional armed groups, and domestic human rights issues [1][2][5]. Tehran has rejected these additions, with officials stating that widening the agenda risks derailing the entire diplomatic process [1].

Military Signaling Amidst Diplomacy

Tensions were further inflamed by aggressive military signaling from both sides in the immediate lead-up to the meeting. Just hours before negotiations commenced, Iranian state television announced the deployment of the Khorramshahr-4 long-range ballistic missile, a move directly challenging U.S. demands to curb Tehran’s missile capabilities [1]. Simultaneously, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a stern warning, reminding Tehran that the U.S. President retains “many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy” [1]. This brinkmanship suggests that while both parties engaged in the Omani-mediated format to avert conflict, the underlying strategic divergence remains acute [1][8].

Analyzing the Geopolitical Risk

For global markets and energy analysts, the apparent lack of immediate progress in Muscat presents a continued risk to supply chain security. The negotiations were intended to stabilize a region still reeling from the 12-day conflict in June 2025 and recent domestic unrest in Iran [1][2]. With Iran insisting on excluding non-nuclear issues and the U.S. refusing to concede without broader security guarantees, the “window for compromise” is reportedly shrinking [8]. Omani mediators are now working to prevent a total collapse of the diplomatic channel, warning that a misinterpretation of the current stalemate could lead to further kinetic escalation in the Persian Gulf [8].

Sources

Geopolitics Nuclear Diplomacy