Iraqi, Omani foreign ministers discuss next round of US-Iran nuclear talks

ISTANBUL

The foreign ministers of Iraq and Oman discussed on Monday developments related to a new round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran in Geneva.

In a statement on US social media company X, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said his phone contact with his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, affirmed their support for the path of dialogue between the US and Iran and stressed the need to ensure the success of the negotiations “to spare the region the risks of escalation.”

Iran and the US are set to reconvene in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday to resume discussions for a potential nuclear deal, amid rising regional tensions and speculations of an imminent war.

The two sides also discussed the issue of depositing maritime maps with the United Nations, as Kuwait had previously done, the statement said.
Iraq reaffirmed its commitment to international law and UN resolutions and emphasized dialogue and negotiation “as a means to address issues in a way that preserves stability and the sovereignty of states,” the minister said.

A dispute has emerged between Iraq and Kuwait after Baghdad submitted a map and geographic coordinates to the UN to delineate what it says are Iraqi maritime areas, which Kuwait said infringe on its territory.

In August 1990, Iraq, under then-President Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait, leading to the 1991 Gulf War, during which a US-led international coalition expelled Iraqi forces after seven months.

Baghdad and Kuwait resumed diplomatic relations in 2003 following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government.
After the invasion, the UN demarcated the land boundary between the two countries. But the demarcation did not settle all aspects of their maritime boundary, leaving certain maritime delimitation issues to be addressed bilaterally between the two oil-producing neighbors.