The United States and Iran are scheduled to hold nuclear negotiations in Oman this Friday, after Tehran requested moving the venue from Turkey and narrowing discussions strictly to its nuclear program, a regional official said. The talks are intended to de-escalate mounting tensions between the two countries, which have increased following military incidents in the Middle East.

 

Iran pushed for the Oman location to continue previous rounds of nuclear-focused diplomacy and to exclude broader topics such as its ballistic missile program. Washington, however, is reported to want a wider agenda that includes regional security concerns.

The intensified standoff comes amid a buildup of U.S. forces in the region and incidents such as the U.S. military’s downing of an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea.

U.S. officials, including special envoys, and Iranian representatives are expected to attend, with the priority being to avoid a larger conflict while navigating deep diplomatic divisions.