US Iran talks in Oman continued after Iran's foreign minister called the indirect negotiations a "good beginning" and said the discussions were focused exclusively on the nuclear file, with delegations returning to their capitals for consultations, Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state television.
Araghchi led the Iranian team while the US side was represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son in law Jared Kushner, and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi mediated the session, the participants and media accounts said.
Oman's foreign minister described the meetings as useful to clarify both sides' thinking and to identify areas for possible progress, and Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said timing and format for the next round would be decided after consultations in Tehran and Washington.
The US also included a senior military official at the talks, with US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper joining the delegation, marking the presence of a high-ranking military leader at indirect talks, according to reports.
The delegations exchanged views on a framework for further negotiations while Iran reiterated it would only discuss its nuclear programme, rejecting proposals to make its ballistic missile programme or regional alliances part of the talks, Araghchi said.
Context, Pressures, And Wider US Measures
Talks took place amid a visible US military buildup in the region and repeated US warnings that consequences would follow if Tehran did not reach an agreement, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after the meetings.
Shortly after the talks, the US announced new sanctions targeting Iran's energy sector, imposing measures on 15 trading firms and on 14 vessels the US described as a shadow fleet used to evade restrictions, the Treasury and State Department said.
The White House also issued an executive order outlining potential import tariffs on countries that buy goods from Iran, using 25 percent as an illustrative rate, the reports said, while US officials said discussions about timing for follow on talks were underway.
Iranian officials have offered possible concessions in past rounds, including discussion of a regional enrichment consortium and moving enriched uranium to a third country, while critics warned any sanctions relief could bolster Tehran's rulers, as reported by regional accounts.
The negotiations follow a period of domestic unrest in Iran, where a rights group reported thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests during a recent crackdown, a backdrop Iranian officials said heightened mistrust that must be overcome if talks continue.
