MUSCAT / ISTANBUL

Oman’s foreign minister said Wednesday that indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US are ongoing.

“The discussions are ongoing, and we hope they lead to what is desired and satisfactory for both sides, in a way that serves security and stability on these global issues,” Badr Albusaidi said following a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Muscat.

Pezeshkian arrived in the Omani capital on Tuesday for a two-day visit, his first tour to a Gulf state since taking office in July 2024.

Albusaidi said Oman looks forward to launching “a new phase of relations with Iran based on Pezeshkian’s visit to achieve prosperity in political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields.”

Iran and the US have been engaged in nuclear diplomacy for the past two months, with Oman mediating five rounds of indirect talks so far, held in Muscat and Rome.

Uranium enrichment has emerged as a key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations, with the US calling for its dismantling while Iran insisting the program will continue.

Last week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that he does not expect talks with the US to yield results and asserted that Iran “needs no one’s permission” to enrich uranium.

US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran if a new nuclear agreement is not reached to replace the 2015 nuclear deal, from which Washington withdrew in 2018.