Talks between the United States and Iran are scheduled to take place in Oman on Friday after Tehran asked for a change of venue from Turkiye, a regional official said. Iran requested the move to ensure discussions remain focused solely on its nuclear programme, continuing previous rounds of negotiations held in the Gulf Arab country.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington had sought to broaden the agenda to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme, but Tehran insisted that only nuclear issues be discussed. Iranian officials have repeatedly described their missile arsenal — one of the largest in the Middle East — as a red line in negotiations.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent days. The US military reported shooting down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday. Armed Iranian boats also moved toward a US-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, incidents that pushed oil prices higher amid fears of further confrontation.

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that negotiations were underway, though he did not specify the location. Sources familiar with the talks said Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are expected to participate.

Regional ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates had initially been expected to attend, but Tehran requested the discussions remain bilateral.

Pakistan to join Iran–US talks on regional de‑escalation

The planned meeting comes against the backdrop of heightened military activity in the region. In June, the United States struck Iranian nuclear targets following a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign, and more recently, the US navy increased its presence after widespread protests in Iran — the deadliest since the 1979 revolution.