Secret US‑Iran talks in Oman aim to ease Middle East tensions

Despite the lack of official diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States, unofficial talks were held in Oman last week. As reported by the French newspaper, these talks focused on potential strategies that could help avoid the escalation of attacks in the Middle East.

The Iranian delegation at the UN confirmed this information in a conversation with the official Iranian news agency IRNA. Iranian politicians emphasized that these talks are part of a continuing process and neither the first nor the last of such negotiations.

The news service Axios wrote about these negotiations late last week, revealing that White House Middle East advisor Brett McGurk and White House Iran envoy Abram Paley led the US side. However, it was not disclosed who represented Iran during these talks.

"Le Figaro" notes that these talks are taking place slightly over a month after Iran attacked Israel, which occurred on April 13. This attack was in retaliation for an Israeli force attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian military officers, including two generals. Washington also accuses Tehran of supporting Yemeni Houthi rebels, who carry out attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

The United States has not maintained official diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979. In Tehran, they are represented through the Swiss embassy. In recent years, however, there have been reports that both countries have been engaged in indirect negotiations on various topics, such as prisoner exchanges, the release of Iranian funds blocked abroad, and measures aimed at curtailing Iran's nuclear program. These talks were similar to those held in Oman.