Oman, a regional mediator that hosted several rounds of previous US–Iran nuclear talks, on Saturday urged Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations, according to AFP.
Oman — Iran’s traditional diplomatic intermediary — hosted five rounds of nuclear talks this year.
“We want to return to the negotiations between Iran (and) the United States,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said during a panel at the IISS Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain.
Albusaidi added that the negotiations were halted after Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13, “just three days before the sixth and possibly decisive round of talks.”
Nuclear Talks
In 2015, Iran signed a landmark 10-year deal with world powers to lift international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities.
However, the accord had long been in disarray after the United States unilaterally withdrew during President Donald Trump’s first term.
In response, Tehran gradually scaled back its own commitments.
Therefore, the talks sought to reach a new agreement that would curb Iran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.
However, these talks faced key stumbling blocks such as uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, a step met with utter rejection by European powers which claimed that Tehran is enriching uranium for unpeaceful purposes.
Iran has denied this accusation and said that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
Al-Busaidi also urged Gulf states to prioritize dialogue with Tehran and other actors traditionally viewed as rivals in the region.
“Over the years, the GCC has at best sat back and permitted the isolation of Iran,” he said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council regional bloc.
“I believe this needs to change,” Albusaidi added.
He affirmed that Oman has consistently sought a more comprehensive framework for dialogue with all countries in the region, including Iran, Iraq, and Yemen.
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