Nuclear talks between the USA and Iran are anticipated to happen in Oman on Friday (February 6, 2026), a regional diplomat mentioned, with a doable confrontation looming as U.S. President Donald Trump builds up forces within the Center East.
Mr. Trump has warned that “unhealthy issues” would most likely occur if a deal couldn’t be reached, ratcheting up stress on the Islamic Republic in a standoff that has led to mutual threats of air strikes and stirred fears of escalation right into a wider warfare.
Iran has mentioned it won’t make concessions on its formidable ballistic missile programme, calling {that a} pink line in negotiations.
The Trump administration agreed to an Iranian request to maneuver the talks from Turkey and negotiations are nonetheless ongoing about whether or not Arab and Muslim international locations from the area will be a part of the talks in Oman, Axios reporter Barak Ravid mentioned on Tuesday, citing an Arab supply.
Iran desires bilateral talks
The U.S. army on Tuesday (February 3, 2026) shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln plane service within the Arabian Sea, the U.S. army mentioned, in an incident first reported by Reuters.
Mr. Trump instructed reporters on the White Home on Tuesday (February 3, 2026): “We’re negotiating with them proper now.” However he didn’t elaborate and declined to say the place he anticipated the talks to happen.
A supply accustomed to the state of affairs mentioned Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was due to participate within the talks, together with U.S. Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Ministers from a number of different international locations within the area together with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates had additionally been anticipated to attend, however the regional supply instructed Reuters that Tehran now needed solely bilateral talks with the U.S.
The U.S. naval buildup follows Iran’s violent crackdown towards anti-government demonstrations final month within the deadliest home unrest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.
Mr. Trump, who stopped wanting finishing up threats to intervene, has since demanded nuclear concessions from Iran and despatched a flotilla to its coast.
The precedence of the diplomatic effort is to keep away from battle and de-escalate rigidity, a regional official instructed Reuters earlier.
Iran’s management is more and more nervous a U.S. strike may break its grip on energy by driving an already enraged public again onto the streets, based on six present and former Iranian officers.
If U.S. strikes Iran, ‘this time it is going to be a regional warfare’: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Confrontations at sea
With tensions working excessive, an Iranian Shahed-139 drone flying towards the Abraham Lincoln plane service “with unclear intent” was shot down by an F-35 U.S. fighter jet on Tuesday (February 3, 2026), the U.S. army mentioned.
Iran’s Tasnim information company mentioned connection had been misplaced with a drone in worldwide waters, however the cause was unknown.
The U.S. Central Command mentioned in one other incident on Tuesday (February 3, 2026), this one within the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed a U.S.-flagged tanker.
“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Crucial at excessive speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Central Command, mentioned.
Maritime threat administration group Vanguard mentioned the Iranian boats ordered the tanker to cease its engine and put together to be boarded. As a substitute, the tanker sped up and continued its voyage.
In June, the USA struck Iranian nuclear targets, becoming a member of in on the shut of a 12-day Israeli bombing marketing campaign. Since then, Tehran has mentioned its uranium enrichment work – which it says is for peaceable, not army functions – has stopped.
Iranian sources instructed Reuters final week that Mr. Trump had demanded three circumstances for resumption of talks: zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and ending its help for regional proxies.
Iran has lengthy mentioned all three calls for are unacceptable infringements of its sovereignty, however two Iranian officers instructed Reuters its clerical rulers noticed the ballistic missile programme, quite than uranium enrichment, as the larger impediment.
Revealed – February 04, 2026 02:23 pm IST