Zürcher Nachrichten - Iran says to hold more talks with US despite Trump military threats

With an American naval group led by an aircraft carrier in Middle Eastern waters, US and Iranian delegations held talks in Muscat mediated by the Gulf sultanate without publicly meeting face-to-face.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Iran's delegation in Muscat, said talks solely focused on the nuclear issue, after the US had indicated Tehran's backing for militant groups and its ballistic missile programme also needed to be on the agenda.

The talks were the first between the two foes since the United States joined Israel's war with Iran in June with strikes on nuclear sites.

They also come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead according to rights groups.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Trump's influential son-in-law Jared Kushner, led Washington's delegation at the talks.

"In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were shared with us," Araghchi told Iranian state TV, adding that the two sides had "agreed to continue negotiations, but we will decide on the modalities and timing at a later date".

"The way forward will depend on our consultations with capitals," he added after the talks concluded.

"Our discussions are focused exclusively on the nuclear issue and we are not addressing any other subject with the Americans," Araghchi told the official IRNA news agency.

In a symbol of the potential for US military action, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, whose area of responsibility includes the Middle East, was also present at the talks, according to images published by the Oman news agency.

A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP that the meetings took place at the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

- 'Don't want us to hit them' -

Multiple sessions of talks in the morning and afternoon saw both sides shuttling to and from the residence of Albusaidi who appeared to be acting as mediator and passing on messages.

Writing on X, Albusaidi described the talks as "very serious".

"It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington."

The White House has made clear it wants the talks to rein in Tehran's ability to make a nuclear bomb, an ambition the Islamic republic has always denied.

The US delegation intended to explore "zero nuclear capacity" for Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, warning that Trump had "many options at his disposal aside from diplomacy".

"They're negotiating," Trump said of Iran on Thursday.

"They don't want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there," he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an "armada".

There was no immediate comment from the American delegation in Muscat.

- 'Compromise or war' -

The meeting comes just under a month after the peak of a wave of nationwide protests in Iran against the clerical leadership, which rights groups say were repressed with an unprecedented crackdown that has left thousands dead.

Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters and even told demonstrators "help is on its way".

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that according to its latest toll 6,495 protesters were confirmed to have been killed as well as 214 members of the security forces and 61 bystanders.

But it and other rights groups warn that the final toll risks being far higher, with the magnitude of the crackdown masked by the blanket internet shutdown imposed by the authorities for a fortnight.

Almost 51,000 people are also confirmed to have been arrested, according to HRANA.

But Trump's rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear programme and the US has manoeuvered a naval group led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region.

Iran has repeatedly vowed it will hit back at US bases if attacked.

"We are ready to defend and it is the US president who must choose between compromise or war," state television on Thursday quoted army spokesman General Mohammad Akraminia as saying, warning that Iran has "easy" access to US regional bases.

The US initially wanted to hold the talks in Turkey, include regional countries and explicitly expand the agenda beyond nuclear but then had to change course due to Iranian demands, a regional source close to the talks told AFP.

Y.Keller--NZN