Witkoff to represent US in Oman talks with Iran

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that direct talks will take place on Saturday between US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and a senior Iranian official.

Rubio expressed optimism about the planned discussions, hoping that the talks "will contribute to achieving peace" between Washington and Tehran.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of heightened nuclear tensions following the United States’ withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump signed on leaving the agreement during his first term (2017–2021), reimposing sweeping US sanctions that had been lifted under the accord.

Since then, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran has significantly exceeded the agreement’s limits on uranium enrichment.

Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing a covert agenda to develop nuclear weapons capabilities by enriching uranium to levels far beyond those justified for civilian energy purposes. Tehran has repeatedly denied these accusations, insisting its nuclear program is peaceful. The upcoming talks are expected to address both nuclear and regional security concerns, though neither side has publicly outlined a detailed agenda.