US, Iran hold direct talks in Muscat

Shafaq News- Muscat

A direct meeting took place between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during nuclear negotiations in Muscat, Axios reported on Friday.

The talks between the United States and Iran lasted several hours, with officials from both sides indicating that additional meetings are expected in the coming days. Axios cited two sources familiar with the discussions as saying that Witkoff and Kushner, both advisers to US President Donald Trump, met directly with Araghchi during the negotiations.

The encounter marked the first direct engagement between senior US and Iranian officials since the June conflict, signaling a possible shift away from strictly indirect channels that have defined recent diplomacy. The Muscat talks took place against the backdrop of a substantial US military buildup in the Gulf and repeated warnings from Trump that Washington could resort to military action if a swift agreement is not reached.

Read more: US, Israel, and Iran step up military readiness as regional tensions grow