Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is insisting that talks between the United States and Iran have not been canceled and will take place this coming Friday. Araghchi signaled that the talks are to focus solely on the nuclear issue, writing in a post Wednesday evening on X: “The talks are scheduled for Friday at 10:00 a.m. I am grateful to our Omani brothers for making all the necessary arrangements.” A U.S. official confirmed to Reuters that the talks are set to be held Friday in Oman.
In Tehran, officials sought to project business as usual on Wednesday evening and did not confirm or deny reports in the United States that the talks had been canceled. Instead, they warned that Iran would not yield to American pressure and would not agree to discuss issues other than the nuclear file. The Tehran-based Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the regime, claimed that “it appears that the United States and Israel, following Iran’s firm insistence, have ultimately accepted the previous framework of the negotiations."
Araghchi’s post came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview aired on NBC that Tehran is still negotiating, but warned that Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, should be “very concerned.” Trump added that the United States has identified Iranian efforts to establish a new nuclear facility and cautioned: "I said, 'You do that, we are going to do really bad things to you.'"
If Araghchi’s remarks are accurate, it would amount to a “small victory” for Tehran, as The Wall Street Journal wrote earlier. Over the past 24 hours, Iran sought to shift the venue of the talks from Turkey to Muscat, the capital of Oman, but it remains unclear how the talks will be conducted and who will participate. Initial reports said the talks would take place in Turkey with the participation of representatives from Arab countries. In the past day, however, other versions have circulated, suggesting a direct meeting between Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, associates of President Trump, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iran has insisted that the negotiations address only the nuclear issue and has said that other matters, including ballistic missiles and the financing of terror organizations in the region, are not on the table. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that if Iran wants the talks to lead to something meaningful, they must include, among other things, the issue of ballistic missiles, which Tehran refuses to discuss, as well as the funding of terror groups in the region and Iran’s treatment of its own people.
Rubio later clarified: “If Iran wants to meet on Friday — we are ready. Ultimately, the United States is willing to talk and has always been willing to talk with Iran.” At a news conference, he did not confirm reports of a change in the location of the talks and said it appeared the Iranians had changed their minds after refusing to hold them in Turkey and instead demanded a move to Muscat, Oman’s capital.