Iranian Official to Meet with Oman on Nuclear Talks
A senior Iranian security official is set to travel to Oman on Tuesday. The Middle Eastern sultanate is currently acting as a mediator in discussions between Tehran and the United States regarding Iran’s nuclear program. These talks aim to prevent a potential American military strike.
Ali Larijani, who previously served as the speaker of the Iranian Parliament and now holds the position of secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, is expected to deliver Iran’s response to the initial round of indirect negotiations that took place last week in Muscat.
Larijani is scheduled to meet with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who acts as the main intermediary in these discussions, as well as with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency. While IRNA described the talks as “important,” it did not provide further details on the message that Larijani will convey.
Nuclear Talks Continue Amid Tensions
Iran and the United States have held new nuclear talks in Oman. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to diplomats at a summit in Tehran on Sunday, emphasized that Iran will maintain its stance on the right to enrich uranium. This issue has been a major point of contention, particularly with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who bombed Iranian atomic sites during the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June. That conflict disrupted previous rounds of nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Israeli Prime Minister to Visit Washington
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington this week, with Iran expected to be a key topic of discussion, according to his office. The U.S. has deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with ships and warplanes, to the Middle East to pressure Iran into reaching an agreement. The move also ensures the necessary military capability to strike Iran should the need arise.
U.S. forces recently shot down a drone that they claimed had come too close to the Abraham Lincoln. Additionally, they provided assistance to a U.S.-flagged ship that was targeted by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
U.S. Issues New Warning for Vessels in the Strait
The U.S. Transportation Department’s Maritime Administration issued a new warning on Monday for American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, urging them to “remain as far as possible from Iran’s territorial sea without compromising navigational safety.” The strait, through which a fifth of all global oil trade passes, lies within both Iranian and Omani territorial waters. Any vessel entering the Persian Gulf must pass through Iranian waters.
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