US-Iran talks begin amid low trust and high stakes

The talks include an unusually direct role for U.S. CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper, highlighting the security-heavy nature of the negotiations.

By World Israel News Staff

Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States formally opened Friday in Oman, beginning with a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, as both sides escalate rhetoric and military signaling while still publicly stressing openness to a diplomatic outcome.

The U.S. delegation is being led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. According to The Wall Street Journal, the talks also include an unusually direct role for U.S. Central Command commander Brad Cooper, highlighting the security-heavy nature of the negotiations. Iran is represented by Araghchi, accompanied by a senior delegation from the Iranian regime.

Tehran has publicly framed the talks as limited to its nuclear program. However, The New York Times reported that Iran has agreed to discuss its ballistic missile program and support for regional proxies as well, provided the nuclear issue remains the central focus of the talks.

Just before negotiations began, Araghchi issued a message on social media saying Iran is entering diplomacy “with open eyes and a clear memory of the past year.”

He said Tehran is acting in good faith while standing firmly on its rights, adding that commitments must be respected and that equal standing, mutual respect, and shared interests are “obligations and pillars of a sustainable agreement.”

Lebanese outlet Al-Mayadeen reported that Friday’s discussions are expected to focus on general principles rather than technical nuclear details, serving as a prelude to developing a broader roadmap.

The talks come as tensions continue to rise on multiple fronts. Iranian state-aligned media reported Thursday that the Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile has been deployed to underground Revolutionary Guard facilities, a move described as strengthening the readiness and survivability of Iran’s missile forces.

Open-source assessments cited in the report characterize the missile as a single-stage, liquid-fueled system with a declared range of approximately 2,000 kilometers, placing much of the Middle East within reach, and capable of speeds of up to Mach 16 outside the atmosphere and around Mach 8 within it.

Also on Thursday, a spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces said Tehran has prepared for every scenario it believes its adversaries are considering.

“If the enemy chooses the option of war, we are prepared for all possibilities under wartime conditions,” he said, warning that any conflict would rapidly expand to include “the entire geography of the region and all American bases, from Israel to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.”

Meanwhile, the United States has continued to move substantial military assets into the region. Early Friday, the U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran issued a security alert urging American citizens to “leave Iran now” and to prepare departure plans that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.

From Washington, the White House emphasized that expectations for the talks remain tightly defined. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Kushner and Witkoff traveled to Oman, saying, “We’ll see what comes out of them. The president is waiting for a report after the discussions.”

She reiterated President Donald Trump’s bottom line. “The president has been very clear about his demands: zero nuclear capabilities,” she said. “He wants to see whether it’s possible to close a deal. And I’ll remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options on the table.”

Earlier this week, Trump spoke with NBC News about the tensions with Iran and the push for diplomacy. Asked whether Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be concerned, Trump replied, “I would say he should be very worried, yeah,” adding that Iran has agreed to engage in direct talks with the United States.

“As you know, they’re negotiating with us,” he said, warning that Tehran had considered building a new nuclear site. “We found out about it. I said, ‘You do that, we’re going to do really bad things to you.’”

Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States has assembled a massive military presence in the region and is fully prepared for war if negotiations fail.

As talks begin in Muscat, diplomacy is unfolding alongside visible preparations for a major confrontation. Both sides are testing the possibility of an agreement in an atmosphere defined by deep mistrust, low confidence, and explicit warnings, with each signaling that while diplomacy remains on the table, the path to conflict is being prepared just as deliberately.