Iran–US talks resume as Trump issues warning to supreme leader

Iran and the United States said on Wednesday they would proceed with nuclear talks in Oman later this week, despite President Donald Trump intensifying pressure on Tehran’s supreme leader and warning that he should be “very worried.”

Uncertainty had surrounded the negotiations after reports earlier in the day suggested the talks between the longtime adversaries were at risk of collapsing over disagreements on both the format and the venue.

The doubts fueled fears of renewed US military action against Iran, amid heightened tensions following Tehran’s violent crackdown on some of the largest protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the nuclear talks were now scheduled for Friday in Muscat, thanking Oman for facilitating the meeting. A White House official also confirmed to AFP that the talks would take place in Oman on Friday.

Earlier, diplomats had indicated the meeting would be held in Turkey, but Axios reported that Washington was close to pulling out after Iran objected to both the location and the inclusion of its ballistic missile program in the discussions.

Trump, who has significantly increased the US military presence in the region and has not ruled out further military action, continued to escalate his rhetoric toward Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“I would say he should be very worried,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News.

Trump also claimed that Iran had considered building a new nuclear facility following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s June conflict with the Islamic republic. “They were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country,” Trump said, adding that he warned Iran against doing so.

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier group—described by Trump as an “armada”—to the region, and a US aircraft shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday. Iran has warned it would retaliate against US targets if attacked.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was ready to engage with Iran but insisted that talks must address Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs to be meaningful. He said discussions should also include Iran’s regional activities and its treatment of its own people.

Iran has previously rejected negotiations over its missile program, arguing that its ballistic capabilities—able to strike Israel—are a legitimate means of self-defense.

Tehran is also facing mounting internal pressure from protests and external strain following last year’s Israeli bombing campaign, the weakening of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.