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Iran and the United States have formally confirmed they will hold direct talks on Friday morning in Oman, ending days of uncertainty as military bases across the wider region remain on heightened alert.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks on Tehran’s nuclear program will begin at 10 a.m. in Muscat, a timetable later confirmed by a senior US official. The meeting marks a rare diplomatic opening between the two sides amid sharply elevated tensions.
In Cyprus, developments are being closely monitored due to the island’s proximity to regional flashpoints and its role in allied military and evacuation planning during Middle East crises.
The talks come as US military bases and assets across the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean continue operating under increased security. In Cyprus, developments are being closely monitored due to the island’s proximity to regional flashpoints and its role in allied military and evacuation planning during Middle East crises.
Despite the diplomatic engagement, US President Donald Trump has maintained a hard line, warning that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very concerned,” while stressing that military options remain available if negotiations fail.
Trump told NBC News that Iran had been considering building a new nuclear facility after US strikes in June 2025 on key Iranian sites, saying Washington had warned Tehran against taking such a step.
Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had cast doubt on whether talks would take place at all, citing mixed signals from Tehran. “If the Iranians want to meet, we are ready,” Rubio later said.
Araghchi is expected to lead Iran’s delegation, while the US will be represented by President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Tehran has insisted the talks be limited strictly to its nuclear program, rejecting any discussion on ballistic missiles or broader defense capabilities. Washington, however, has said meaningful progress would require a wider agenda, including missiles, regional influence and human rights.
The US has deployed more than 10 warships to the region, including an aircraft carrier, while Iran has warned it would target US bases and naval assets if attacked, a standoff that keeps military facilities across the eastern Mediterranean, including those linked to Cyprus, under close watch.
Trump has not outlined what action the US might take if the talks collapse.
