Oman hosts second round of indirect Iran-US talks amid rising tensions: officials

Oman’s foreign minister held a second round of separate talks with Iranian and US officials, as part of ongoing indirect negotiations in Muscat between Tehran and Washington to defuse their tension, Iranian media said.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA said on Friday that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented his country's views to his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi during the second round of talks.

Earlier, the IRNA said that during the first round of talks with Albusaidi, Araghchi presented his country's proposed plan to the Omani side, which then shared it with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy for the Middle East.

"In the second round of negotiations, the American delegation’s response will be conveyed to the Iranian side," it stated, adding that the US delegation also shared its viewpoints with the Omani mediators during the first round of consultations.

There was a brief pause in the talks as both sides consulted with their respective capital, the Iranian media said.

During Friday's negotiations, Iran is represented by a delegation headed by Araghchi. According to IRNA, Araghchi is accompanied by Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy for Political Affairs; Esmaeil Baghaei, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson; Hamid Ghanbari, Deputy for Economic Affairs; and other Iranian diplomats.

According to the US officials, Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and assistant, are representing the United States in the talks.

The negotiations come amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, fueled by an American military buildup in the Gulf and repeated threats of military action by US President Donald Trump following deadly protests that swept the Iran since late December.

In recent days, several other countries including Türkiye, have stepped in and offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington to ease tensions.