Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks at a joint press briefing with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Tehran also conveyed that its missile program was not part of the agenda, the diplomat said.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Iran refused U.S. demands to stop enriching uranium during indirect talks in Oman, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal and Reuters citing a regional diplomat briefed by Tehran.
The discussions produced limited progress on core disputes, though both sides agreed to continue negotiations in an effort to avoid further escalation.
The diplomat said Iranian representatives rejected calls to end enrichment on Iranian soil but signaled readiness to discuss the “level and purity” of enrichment or the possibility of a regional consortium.
Tehran also conveyed that its missile program was not part of the agenda, the diplomat said.
According to the reports, the Oman channel involved Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and envoys representing President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The diplomat added that Iranian officials believed the American negotiators “seemed to understand Iran’s stance on the enrichment … and they showed flexibility about Tehran’s demands.”
In Washington, Vice President JD Vance said President Trump was keeping multiple options on the table as diplomacy proceeds.
Speaking to journalist Megyn Kelly, Vance said, “Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. That is the stated policy goal of the president of the United States. It’s so funny. Sometimes you have people who are saying, ‘Well, the president’s too belligerent.’ And then sometimes you have people who say, ‘Well, the president, he’s talking about diplomacy and he’s talking about negotiating with the Iranians. We shouldn’t negotiate. We should just bomb them.’”
Vance indicated that while talks were ongoing, the possibility of military action remained should diplomatic efforts fail.
Both reports emphasized that despite the limited headway, the two sides agreed to keep the dialogue open as a means of managing tensions.
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