Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Oman late on Thursday ahead of nuclear talks with the United States, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
The news agency said that Araghchi “arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, to participate in a new round of nuclear talks with the American delegation."
While in Oman, the Iranian Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, with the talks to focus on the Iranian nuclear program and other issues of contention. Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is scheduled to take part as well.
US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that Trump would “keep his options open" on Iran and could ultimately use military force should diplomacy fail.
Speaking to journalist Megyn Kelly, Vance stressed, “Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. That is the stated policy goal of the president of the United States. It's so funny. Sometimes you have people who are saying, ‘Well, the president's too belligerent.’ And then sometimes you have people who say, ‘Well, the president, he's talking about diplomacy and he's talking about negotiating with the Iranians. We shouldn't negotiate. We should just bomb them.’"
Also on Wednesday, Trump told NBC News that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, should “be very worried" despite the talks with the US on a potential deal.
“I would say he should be very worried, yeah. He should be. As you know, they're negotiating with us," Trump said.
He was asked why there is a need for a deal if Iran’s nuclear program has been obliterated and whether Iran is trying to restart their nuclear program and replied, “Well, I heard that they are, and if they do, and I let them know, if they do, we're going to send them right back and do their job again."