U.S. and Iran Hold Indirect Talks in Oman

Latest Developments

Deliberations in Muscat: Delegations from the United States and Iran convened in the Omani capital of Muscat on February 6 for indirect talks addressing the tensions sparked by the Tehran regime’s slaughter of thousands of protesters. The American delegation included special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian delegation. Acting as mediator, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met first with the Iranian party and then with the U.S. delegation.
Iran Refuses To End Enrichment: Tehran was adamant that it would not end its nuclear enrichment activities or relocate them offshore, a key demand of the U.S. delegation. Araghchi also claimed that the talks focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program, excluding negotiations over Iran’s missile program, its repression of protesters, and its support for proxy terrorist organizations — all topics Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week must be on the table. Araghchi described the talks as “a good start,” adding that future meetings depended on “consultations in the capitals.”
Iran Prioritizing Missile Program Reconstruction: Satellite imagery of Iran appears to show that the regime rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities that were damaged during the Israeli and U.S. strikes last June, with comparatively less progress made in the repair of its damaged nuclear facilities. Repair work has been carried out at more than a dozen missile facilities over the past several months, including the Shahroud missile test facility, Iran’s largest solid-propellant missile production plant. Iranian leaders have stated that the Islamic Republic would retaliate with its ballistic missile arsenal against Israel and U.S. assets in the region if attacked.

FDD Expert Response

“Beware the Iran talks trap. The regime could accept sweeping nuclear demands — dismantlement of facilities already largely destroyed — along with cosmetic limits on missiles and terror financing while pocketing billions in sanctions relief, waiting out Trump, and then shredding the agreement. They would gamble, likely correctly, that the next president will not have Trump’s resolve to use force. America should strike first, negotiate later, and use every instrument of American power to weaken, fracture, and ultimately bring down this murderous regime.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“It’s clear that the Islamic Republic went into these talks determined to buy time to continue killing its own people and rearming. And it is equally clear that the United States now faces a binary choice: either grasp the nettle or show irresolution and weakness.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

“Operation Midnight Hammer last June was the only action that decisively halted Iran’s uranium enrichment, an outcome no agreement ever achieved. Building on that success now requires seizing the momentum of Iran’s ongoing anti-regime movement. That movement represents a deeply anti-Islamist, pro-American current that offers the only viable path to ending the threats posed by the Tehran regime.” — Janatan Sayeh, Research Analyst