Tehran [Iran], February 5: The location of planned negotiations between the United States and Iran has yet to be determined, Tehran said on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in the coming days amid high tensions between Washington and Tehran.
While Istanbul was initially floated in US media as a likely site for the talks, the Axios news portal later reported that Oman - which hosted negotiations between the two countries last year - has emerged as a potential venue.
Iranian news agency Tasnim quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai as saying that both Turkiye and Oman, as well as several other countries, have "declared their willingness" to host the meeting.
The ministry said Araghchi spoke to his counterparts in Turkiye, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait late on Tuesday. He reportedly thanked Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his efforts to "reduce tensions" and his support for "peace and security in the region." Efforts to find a suitable venue for the negotiations come amid fresh concern about a US military attack on Iran.
After a wave of protests in Iran was brutally suppressed earlier this year by security forces, US President Donald Trump threatened to intervene, telling demonstrators "help is on the way." The US military has since expanded its military capabilities in the region, with the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other ships reaching the Middle East.
The talks are also likely to cover Iran's controversial nuclear programme, after the US bombed key nuclear sites across the country last year.
Source: Qatar Tribune
