Fars News Agency, affiliated with Revolutionary Guards, contradicted a report by Axios regarding a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat.
Citing an unnamed informed source, Fars reported that the conversation occurred at the end of negotiations, lasted only a few minutes, and was proposed by the Omani side.
This account contrasts with an Axios report which, citing a source with knowledge of the talks, said that the two lead negotiators spoke for approximately 45 minutes on Saturday – a duration longer than publicly disclosed.
The Axios source described this dialogue, the highest-level between US and Iranian officials in eight years, as "substantive, serious and excellent."
Another media outlet linked to IRGC, Tasnim, also quoted an informed source as reporting that the second phase of negotiations will definitely be held with Oman's presence and mediating role, and emphasized that comments about the Iran-US negotiations becoming direct are not correct.
Tasnim added the country where the negotiations will be held geographically has not yet been finalized, rejecting another part of the Axios scoop about Rome will be the venue of the next weekend's meeting.
