US-Iran talks to begin as fears of direct conflict persist

Senior US and Iranian officials are expected to meet later in Oman for direct talks amid a crisis that has raised fears of a military confrontation between the two countries.

The discussions come after the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East in response to Iran’s violent crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests last month, which human rights groups say killed several thousand people.

Uncertainty over the location and scope of the talks has threatened to derail the negotiations, which are part of a diplomatic effort by regional mediators to ease tensions.

The two countries remain very far apart in their positions. The hope is that if successful, the discussions could lead to a framework for negotiations.

The United States, which is demanding that Iran freeze its nuclear program and abandon its stockpiles of enriched uranium, said negotiations should also focus on Iran’s ballistic missiles, the country’s support for regional armed groups and the treatment of its citizens.

Iran, however, has said discussions will be limited to its nuclear program, and it is unclear whether those differences have been resolved.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it does not reach a deal. The United States has sent thousands of troops and what Trump described as an “armada” to the region, including an aircraft carrier as well as other warships and fighter jets.

Iran has vowed to respond to an attack with force, threatening to strike US military assets in the Middle East and Israel.

The Iranian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said last week that his country’s armed forces were “on the trigger,” while the United States will be represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

It will be the first meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials since the war between Israel and Iran last June, when the United States bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities.

Iran says its uranium enrichment activities ceased after the attacks.

For Iran’s embattled leaders, the negotiations could be the last chance to avoid U.S. military action that could further destabilize the regime, which analysts say is in its weakest position since it came to power after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Trump’s threats came as Iranian security forces brutally suppressed large-scale protests, sparked by a deepening economic crisis, and saw demonstrators call for an end to the Islamic Republic.

The Washington-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed at least 6,883 deaths, warning that the figure could be much higher and that more than 50,000 people had been arrested.

The current crisis has brought to the forefront the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, which is at the center of a long-standing conflict with the West.

For decades, Iran claimed its program was for peaceful purposes, while the United States and Israel accused it of participating in an effort to develop a weapon.

Iran says it has the right to enrich uranium on its own territory and has rejected calls for its stockpile of highly enriched uranium – 400 kg (880 pounds) – to be transferred to a third country.

Officials have been open to concessions, which could include the creation of a regional consortium for uranium enrichment, as proposed during negotiations with the United States that collapsed when Israel launched its surprise war last year.

At the same time, Iran says demands to limit its ballistic missile program and end support for proxies in the region – an alliance Tehran calls the “Axis of Resistance” that includes Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen – are unacceptable and a violation of its sovereignty.

On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had asked Araghchi to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, “provided that an appropriate environment exists.”

Regardless, Iran should demand the lifting of sanctions that have crippled its economy. Opponents of the regime say any relief would give religious leaders a lifeline.

For the United States, the meeting, depending on its outcome, could offer Trump a way out of his military threats.

Regional countries fear a U.S. strike could lead to broader conflict or long-term chaos in Iran, and have warned that air power alone will not succeed in toppling Iran’s leaders.

Asked whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, Trump told NBC News on Wednesday: “I would say he should be very worried. Yes, he should be.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said discussions should go beyond the nuclear issue to achieve “something meaningful”.

“I’m not sure you can come to an agreement with these guys, but we’ll try to find out. We don’t see any harm in trying to figure out if something can be done,” he said.

The talks, initially planned for Istanbul, are an effort led by Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to defuse tensions.

Iran, however, requested at the last minute that the venue of the meeting be moved to Oman, which hosted the talks last year, and that it be limited to Iranian and US officials.