Iran’s top diplomats have poured cold water on suggestions that backchannel discussions with the US could move beyond Oman. The Foreign Ministry insists Muscat remains the sole and unwavering location for these sensitive indirect negotiations.
Spokesman Ismail Baghaei, speaking at a press conference, debunked the reports as inaccurate. Citing IRNA, he highlighted Iran’s positive stance toward neighbors’ mediation attempts to dial back regional strife and promote talks.
Offers of help have poured in from various quarters, Baghaei said, as Foreign Minister Araghchi engages deeply with concerned international players. These elite-level parleys, encompassing presidential involvement, target de-escalation and forward momentum in diplomacy.
No alternative sites were ever considered, Baghaei stressed, amid active shuttle diplomacy. Ali Larijani’s visit to Muscat saw productive exchanges with Oman’s Foreign Minister on pressing regional dynamics, emphasizing joint efforts for security and steadiness.
Larijani’s X post added urgency, preempting the Netanyahu-Trump rendezvous where Iran’s nuclear posture looms large. He advised Washington against letting Israel steer nuclear dialogue via theatrics.
Tel Aviv’s skepticism of Iran’s nuclear program fuels threats of solo interventions should US engagements not satisfy its demands. En route to DC, Netanyahu pegged Iran as the summit’s linchpin issue.