(Feb 6): Iran and the US are set to start negotiations on Friday to de-escalate tensions that have threatened to spiral into war, with Tehran saying the talks will be the first stage of a longer diplomatic process.
The meeting in Oman’s capital of Muscat will focus on “broad topics” rather than finer details and are expected to clarify a road map for further talks, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported early on Friday.
The US delegation was expected to be led by Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, and Iran’s by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iran’s main priorities include “assessing the other side’s goodwill and seriousness,” IRNA said. “The road map for negotiations appears set to become clearer once this round concludes.”
Oil prices have soared around 12% this year, in large part because of concerns about a new war in the Middle East. Brent rose 1.1% in early trading on Friday to US$68.25 a barrel.
See also: Tankers speed through Hormuz chokepoint on US-Iran tensions
Some supertanker operators, nervous about the rising US-Iran tensions and potential risks to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, are speeding their vessels through the chokepoint, Bloomberg has reported.
Iran seized two small oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday that were suspected of smuggling fuel, state TV reported. Iranian authorities, who frequently conduct such anti-smuggling operations, found around 6,300 barrels-worth of illicit fuel aboard, the report said, without identifying the vessels.
Trump has threatened Tehran with military strikes if it doesn’t agree to a deal, with Iran warning that any attack would trigger a regional war engulfing Israel and the US.
See also: Australia, Indonesia hedge against China with security deal
The US on Friday urged any of its citizens in Iran to leave or stockpile food and water if they’re unable to do so. It’s unclear how many Americans are still in Iran, but the number is probably small.
Trump’s stated objective has morphed from assurances on the safety of Iranian protesters who staged mass anti-government demonstrations in December and January to a broader deal to constrain Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Iranian officials have insisted the talks will be limited to the nuclear issue, while US officials have said they have to include Iran’s missiles and Tehran’s support for regional militias.
There’s widespread scepticism among analysts that the two countries can reach a deal.
“Despite some diplomatic progress, US strikes on Iran remain likely,” Gregory Brew and Henning Gloystein, analysts at Eurasia Group, said in a note to clients on Thursday. “Trump’s preference for quick, decisive actions that do not turn into prolonged commitments means the expected US strikes would be intensive, but not prolonged.”
Much of Iran’s atomic programme was damaged in June when Israel carried out airstrikes and assassinations in the country. The US, which was holding talks with the Islamic Republic before the fighting began, joined in later, dropping bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s facilities for producing enriched uranium.
“Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year,” Iran’s Araghchi wrote on X early on Friday.
The talks were initially meant to be in Istanbul in Turkey, but Iran wanted them changed to Oman. The Gulf country often acts as a mediator when regional tensions flare.
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