Iran, Oman Foreign Ministers Hold Phone Talks on Iran-U.S. Talks

(MENAFN) Iranian and Omani top diplomats held urgent telephone consultations Sunday night over the next round of indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington, as both sides brace for a critical third meeting amid sharply rising regional tensions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, reviewed the trajectory of ongoing diplomatic efforts, according to a statement issued by Iran's Foreign Ministry. The two officials exchanged assessments on the most recent developments surrounding the Iran-U.S. negotiating process, the first two rounds of which unfolded in Muscat — Oman's capital — and Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17, respectively.

Araghchi signaled earlier Sunday that a fresh round of face-to-face diplomacy is on the horizon. Speaking on a TV program, he said he would probably meet U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Geneva on Thursday to discuss the draft proposal of a possible nuclear deal to be prepared by Tehran.

The anticipated third round of talks arrives at a particularly volatile moment. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have intensified significantly, compounded by a growing U.S. military buildup across West Asia — factors that analysts warn could complicate efforts to reach any preliminary framework agreement.

Oman has played a pivotal quiet-diplomacy role throughout the process, with Muscat serving as the launchpad for the first direct engagement between the two longtime adversaries.

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