Khaberni - Nuclear talks between the United States of America and Iran have started in Oman, according to an Iranian news agency.
The talks, which started in the morning in Muscat, are the first since the United States launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June during the 12-day war that broke out following an Israeli attack on Iran.
The U.S. delegation is headed by President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the Iranian delegation by the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Araghchi arrived in the Omani capital on Thursday evening, according to the official news agency IRNA.
This meeting comes less than a month after the bloody repression campaign that the Iranian regime launched against a widespread protest movement, resulting in thousands of deaths according to human rights organizations.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that Washington will show "responsibility, realism, and seriousness" in the talks.
Trump said "they are negotiating," adding "they do not want us to strike them, as we have a large fleet heading there," referring to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its strike group.
The U.S. President initially threatened military action against Tehran because of its suppression of the protestors, telling the protesters that "help is on the way".
However, his speech in recent days has focused on curbing the Iranian nuclear program, which the West fears aims to develop a nuclear bomb.
White House spokeswoman Carola Levy said on Thursday that Trump is looking forward to the talks to determine whether an agreement with Tehran can be reached.
Levy told reporters: "During these negotiations, I would like to remind the Iranian regime that the President has many options available, besides diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the strongest military in the world's history."
His deputy, JD Vance, said in an interview with "Sirius XM" media aired on Wednesday, "Trump will keep his options open, and he will speak to everyone, and he will try to achieve what he can through non-military means, but if he felt that the military is the only option, he would eventually adopt this option."
Vance also expressed frustration at the lack of direct communication between Trump and the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, saying "It's a very strange country to deal with diplomatically, you can't even talk to the person in charge of the country."
"Concerns about Escalation"
Iran and the United States had previously conducted negotiations in the spring, particularly in the Sultanate of Oman, but they were frozen due to the 12-day war. Those talks particularly stumbled due to the issue of Iran enriching uranium.
Iran insisted on discussing the nuclear file only with the aim of lifting international sanctions that hinder its economy, refusing any negotiations about its ballistic missile program, which it considers a self-defense tool.
The official Iranian television emphasized on Thursday that "the talks are limited to the nuclear file only," quoting an official in the Iranian delegation.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed out that "for the talks to lead to concrete results, they must include specific items, including the range of their ballistic missiles, their support for organizations in the region, their nuclear program, and their treatment of their people."
From the Qatari capital Doha, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the Iranian leadership to "seriously enter negotiations" with the United States, saying that there are "major concerns about a military escalation in the region."
The Institute for the Study of War, based in the United States, said "Iran still demonstrates stubbornness towards meeting U.S. demands, reducing the likelihood of Iran and the United States reaching a diplomatic solution."
In light of the continued threats of military action, the United States sent the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its strike group to the region, while Iran threatened to target U.S. bases in the region if attacked.
The official Iranian TV quoted the spokesman for the army Brigadier General Mohammad Akrami Nia on Thursday saying "We are ready to defend, and the U.S. President must choose between settlement or war," warning that Iran could "easily" reach U.S. bases.
In a sign of tensions, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard detained two foreign oil tankers and their crews in the Gulf waters on charges of "fuel smuggling," as reported by the Tasnim News Agency on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear which flag the two tankers were flying nor the nationalities of their crews.
The Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) quoted former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, now an advisor to Khamenei, saying "Iran is fully prepared to confront any threat or foreign enemy."
