No US-Iran nuclear talks in Muscat on Sunday, says Oman

Omani FM insisted diplomacy remains the only pathway despite Israel's escalation

A poster displaying the portraits of Iranian military generals and nuclear scientists, killed in Israel's attacks, hangs on a bridge in Tehran. AFP

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The new round of Iran–US talks, scheduled to be held in Muscat on Sunday, will no longer take place, Oman has announced.

The cancellation follows Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, which killed several top generals. Tehran responded with a barrage of missiles.

Despite the escalation, Washington was still hoping talks with Tehran over its nuclear programme could continue, although the Israeli attacks have cast serious doubt over the prospects for diplomacy.

“The Iran–US talks scheduled to be held in Muscat this Sunday will not now take place,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi posted on X on Saturday.

“But diplomacy and dialogue remain the only pathway to lasting peace,” he added.

Iran, for its part, has called continued negotiations with the US “unjustifiable” in light of the current escalation.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas that Israel’s attacks were “the direct result” of US support.

The talks had aimed to prevent military escalation by pushing Iran to give up uranium enrichment and abandon any ambitions of developing a nuclear weapon.

A copy of the Iranian daily newspaper Javan, with the headline 'Witkoff European illusion, and Enrichment will continue' in a kiosk in Tehran. EPA

For weeks, US President Donald Trump remained publicly optimistic about striking a deal, while also warning of dire consequences if Iran failed to comply.

But Israel’s strike targeting Iranian military leaders and nuclear sites has now rendered the diplomatic process all but irrelevant. Still, Mr Trump insisted that Iran “may have a second chance” to return to the table.

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, accused Washington of enabling the Israeli attacks that killed senior Iranian commanders and dozens of civilians.

“It is inconceivable for Iran — and indeed for anyone in the world — that the Zionist regime could have carried out such a reckless and aggressive act of war without the co-operation, co-ordination, or at the very least the conscious green light of the US,” he said.

“We hold the US government responsible for the consequences of this unlawful and reckless act by the Zionist regime.”

The IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on June 12 declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations — the first such move in nearly 20 years. Tehran denounced the resolution as “clearly designed to produce a crisis” and announced plans to open a new uranium enrichment site.

Just hours later, Israel launched its strikes, triggering Iran’s retaliation.