Synergy boost: The US and Iran are looking for a way out of the nuclear crisis

Two rounds of indirect contacts between the United States and Iran, mediated by Oman, took place in Muscat. During the consultations, which were conducted through the Sultanate's Foreign Minister, Badr al-Busaidi, the parties discussed the parameters of a possible resumption of the negotiation process, as well as approaches to reduce tensions over the Iranian nuclear program. The meeting was the first attempt at dialogue amid threats from US President Donald Trump to unleash a "huge armada" on Tehran. The American leader had previously announced the deployment of the Navy to the region and the need for the Islamic Republic to completely renounce nuclear weapons.

Negotiations were held alternately with the Omani Minister.

On February 6, Iran and the United States held talks in Oman, which became the first direct contact between the parties after Washington's June strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The American delegation probed the prospects for diplomatic progress on the Iranian nuclear program, without removing the military scenario from the agenda. In Tehran, in turn, they expect to use the meeting to reduce the level of escalation and fix the framework for a possible dialogue.

The Iranian delegation at the talks was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abbas Araghchi, the American delegation was led by the special envoy of the President of the United States, Steve Witkoff.

The face-to-face talks took place in Muscat after a months-long pause caused by the open phase of the Iran-Israel conflict in the summer of 2025. Prior to that, Iran and the United States had held five rounds of consultations. At the same time, working contacts between them remained after the escalation in June, but the consultations in Muscat were the first time their representatives met, albeit through an intermediary.

The contacts were conducted in the format of alternate meetings with the Omani side and focused on agreeing on conditions for the possible resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations, as well as discussing the parties' approaches to security and stability in the region.

According to the Axios portal, a second meeting is planned to be held in Oman in the coming days. In turn, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that there were signs of mutual understanding reached during the first round of negotiations between the parties.

On the eve of the official meeting, the Iranian Foreign Minister held talks with Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, outlining Tehran's proposals for building a dialogue with Washington. Muscat has traditionally acted as an intermediary between Iran and the United States, providing a neutral platform for contacts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the consultations with the United States held in Muscat as a "good start" and stressed that the parties agreed to continue the negotiation process.

"It was a good start to the negotiations. How they will continue will be decided after consultations in the capitals. There seems to be mutual agreement on the continuation of negotiations," he said after the meeting.

Araghchi also added that one of the key tasks remains to overcome the distrust that has arisen with the United States in order to develop a framework for new negotiations.

Washington, however, maintains a tough rhetoric. White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt said that the American delegation intends to explore the option of "zero nuclear power" for Iran, stressing that President Donald Trump has other instruments of influence besides diplomacy. According to American media reports, the US administration does not fully understand exactly what results Washington expects to achieve in the event of a possible military scenario.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a source in the government of one of the Middle Eastern countries, the parties intended to focus exclusively on nuclear issues. This is at odds with the broader agenda previously outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also expressed a desire to discuss the missile program and other regional security issues with Tehran.

Iran has no intention of discussing ballistic missiles

Iran does not close the door to a negotiated path, but it clearly defines the boundaries of acceptable dialogue, said Omani political analyst Khamis al-Qutaiti.

"Tehran does not intend to discuss issues related to its scientific and technological potential, including defense and missile capabilities, as well as the cessation of its peaceful nuclear program, which the Iranian side insists on considering exclusively in a civilian context," he told Izvestia.

At the same time, Iran, the expert added, is ready to talk about technical parameters — the level of uranium enrichment and the number of centrifuges, while the issue of support for the resistance forces and the Palestinian issue remain outside the negotiating agenda, as they are of fundamental importance to the country.

Iranian international relations expert Hadi Issa Daloul explained to Izvestia that the American proposals initially did not meet the requirements of the Iranian parliament. At the same time, in his opinion, the probability of direct US military aggression is extremely low: Washington is unlikely to be willing to take such a risk for the sake of a one-time operation.

The New York Times reported on Tehran's possible willingness to accept a long-term suspension of its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions. But, according to the newspaper's sources, Iran does not intend to discuss restrictions on ballistic missiles, considering them as a key element of defense in case of new attacks from its neighbors.

In Israel, according to the Al-Monitor portal, there is no unified position on the negotiations between the United States and Iran. Some of the military and political leadership is skeptical about the prospects of agreements with Tehran and advocates disrupting the dialogue, considering the Iranian nuclear program an existential threat. Other representatives of the establishment admit that the possibilities of influencing Washington in this matter are limited. According to sources, the hardliners insist on a military scenario and express their willingness to provide the United States with intelligence support, as well as seeking greater freedom of action for Israel in relation to Iran.

Against this background, Khamis al-Kutaiti believes that a military scenario is not completely excluded, both from the United States and Israel. He recalled that during the June war, Iran was attacked precisely during the period of preparation for the next round of negotiations in Muscat. According to the expert, Tehran has learned serious lessons from this experience: today, any contacts are considered only if there are security guarantees, at the same time, Iran maintains a high level of combat readiness and strengthens the protection of key facilities and leadership, not excluding attempts at targeted attacks by opponents.

An additional instrument of pressure on Iran can be considered the statement made by the United States on the eve of the negotiations. The American Embassy in Tehran has issued a warning to its citizens to leave the country immediately. In particular, the diplomatic mission recommended considering overland travel routes through Armenia or Turkey and developing an exit plan independent of the assistance of the US authorities.

Meanwhile, Russia also has an important role to play in the negotiations. The Kremlin confirmed that an initiative is being considered to export excess enriched uranium from Iran to the territory of the Russian Federation, but only Tehran can make a decision. According to the New York Times, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, conveyed to Vladimir Putin a personal message from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with a proposal on the possible export of uranium.

Shortly before the talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi held consultations with Russian Ambassador Alexei Dedov and went to Beijing to deliver a message from Iranian President Xi Jinping. The Russian Embassy in Tehran earlier told Izvestia that it was demonstrating readiness for a peaceful settlement of differences with the United States, but the prospects for a deal depended primarily on the position of Washington and European capitals. The diplomatic mission noted that so far Western countries have not demonstrated a reasonable approach. They only continue to rely on sanctions, double standards, and threats of force.