After months of heightened tension following their war in June 2025 and weeks of escalating mutual threats, Iran and the United States resumed fragile nuclear diplomacy on Friday, as negotiators from both sides held critical mediated talks in Muscat, Oman.
Led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, the delegations exchanged views indirectly on the key contentious issue of Tehran’s nuclear programme through Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi.
At the core of the dispute between Tehran and Washington lie deep disagreements over Iran’s nuclear enrichment and ballistic missile capabilities, as well as the Islamic Republic’s anti-Israel regional allies.
These major sticking points have pushed the sides into gridlock, with the United States demanding “zero enrichment” and a limitation on Iran’s missile range to 500 kilometres.
Iran has categorically rejected the U.S. conditions, stressing that the right to uranium enrichment under UN verification and its advanced missile programme constitute firm red lines.
Settling dust
This raises the question of what a possible deal between Iran and the United States might look like. Will this new round of talks amount to yet another exercise in agreeing to disagree?
The dust from Friday’s talks is expected to settle within days - if not hours - of them ending.
For now, the talks appear to have helped avert a military standoff. In the medium term, however, prospects for a major breakthrough remain slim if Iran and the United States are unable to exchange concessions and allow diplomacy a chance to prevail.
The US military build-up in the region and Iran’s unveiling of a new ballistic missile “town” keep the Armada v. Catapulta antinomy alive, reinforcing concerns over a looming showdown that could spill over into a wider regional confrontation.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission...
Iran says the first wave of attacks on Israel since April's ceasefire has ended, but warned of further strikes if Israel continues military action in ...
Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy and food security following high-level meetings held during the St Pete...
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the U.S. would bear direct responsibility for any escalation in West Asia a...
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedric...
Iran says the first wave of attacks on Israel since April's ceasefire has ended, but warned of further strikes if Israel continues military action in Lebanon, as U.S. President Donald Trump urged both sides to "immediately stop 'shooting'.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the U.S. would bear direct responsibility for any escalation in West Asia after Iran and Israel resumed strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
Sirens rang out across multiple areas of Israel on Sunday night after missiles were launched from Iran towards the country, the Israeli military said. Earlier, Tehran's top negotiator in talks with the U.S. threatened to target Israeli and American assets in the region, after Israel struck Beirut.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
For about three decades after the Soviet collapse, Armenia anchored its foreign and security policy to Moscow.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for high-level talks in Westminster focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
A French Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday (8 June), triggering security alerts and renewing concerns about the impact of the war in Ukraine on NATO's eastern flank.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
A city north of Tokyo has suspended classes at all 94 of its primary and middle schools after its first-ever reported bear sighting, amid growing concern over increasing encounters between bears and people across Japan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment