US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Iranian officials in Oman this weekend for the latest talks aimed at striking a nuclear accord between Washington and Tehran, the State Department said on Thursday.
It will be the third round of negotiations and will see technical teams meet to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. The West says this is aimed at building nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies.
State Department director of policy planning Michael Anton will head the technical delegation for the US, spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
“The next round of talks will take place in Oman on Saturday, and will be the first meeting of technical teams,” Ms Bruce told reporters. “Special envoy Witkoff also will be present.”
Ms Bruce added that nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency is also planning on sending a team to Iran “this week”.
Mr Witkoff most recently met Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last weekend in Rome, where they reported progress and called for talks among technical teams.
Mr Anton, a conservative academic who served on the National Security Council during President Donald Trump's first administration, is getting involved in talks as time quickly ticks down towards a deadline the US President imposed.
He last month wrote to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, giving Tehran two months to make a deal. Since then, Mr Trump has at times threatened to bomb Iran, while also offering the promise of a better future if it drops its nuclear programme.
Mr Trump in 2018 removed the US from the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by major world powers during the administration of his predecessor Barack Obama, and placed Iran under a tough “maximum pressure” campaign, including stiff sanctions.
For now at least, the President is taking a more diplomatic approach in his second term and has reportedly worked to dissuade Israel from bombing Iranian nuclear sites.
Mr Araghchi on Thursday said he was prepared to visit Germany, France and Britain, adding he was open to discussing “not only on the nuclear issue, but in each and every other area of mutual interest and concern”.
After Mr Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60 per cent − much more than the 3.67 per cent cap set by the accord.
An enrichment level of 90 per cent is generally needed to make a nuclear bomb. A key sticking point in talks is how much – if any – enrichment the US will allow Tehran to continue. Iran insists its enrichment is for its civilian nuclear programme.
“Not acceptable is having a nuclear weapon. That is the one bright line that has been feeding all of the activity,” Ms Bruce said.
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
