Iran-US expert-level meeting in Muscat postponed to Saturday, Tehran says

Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said discussed ongoing US-Iran talks mediated by Muscat with Russian President Vladimir Putin while on a visit to the Russian capital, a Kremlin foreign policy aide said on Tuesday.

"We discussed the progress of negotiations between Iranian and American representatives," Interfax quoted Yury Ushakov as saying.

"We will see what the result will be. We maintain close contact with our Iranian colleagues. Where we can, we help."

US Senator John Cornyn voiced support for President Trump’s stated commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but warned that diplomacy may not be enough.

“Hopefully, by complete dismantling of their weapons program via negotiations; if not, by any means necessary,” Cornyn wrote on X Tuesday.

The US Treasury on Tuesday slapped new sanctions on Iran's energy sales even as Washington is engaged in high-stakes talks with Tehran on its nuclear program.

Targeted in the new measure was "Iranian national and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) magnate Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh and his corporate network, which is collectively responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to foreign markets," a Treasury statement said.

Also included in the sanctions was Emamjomeh's son Meisam and a bevy of companies the treasury says are owned or controlled by the father.

"Emamjomeh and his network sought to export thousands of shipments of LPG—including from the United States—to evade US sanctions and generate revenue for Iran,” treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

“The United States remains committed to holding accountable those who seek to provide the Iranian regime with the funding it needs to further its destabilizing activities in the region and around the world.”

"I’ve just spoken to Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, relative to numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc.," US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"The call went very well—We are on the same side of every issue."

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow this week, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov.

Witkoff, who is the chief US negotiator in nuclear talks with Tehran, had visited Russia before attending the first round of talks held in Muscat on April 12.

Moscow and Tehran have deepened ties in recent years and the two heavily sanctioned powers have stepped up military cooperation amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.