Iran, Oman FMs meet ahead of fourth round of Iran–US talks

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat roughly one hour later than the time previously announced for the start of the fourth round of talks with the United States.

Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said negotiations would begin around noon local time.

However, Araghchi’s flight landed in Oman at approximately 1:00 PM Tehran time.

Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, reported earlier that Iran’s negotiating team had already arrived and was preparing for the talks. According to the outlet, the venue for the negotiations will be determined by Oman’s foreign minister.

An unnamed Iranian source told Iraq’s Baghdad Al-Youm that the United States’ continued opposition to "Iran’s right to peaceful uranium enrichment" could cause the latest round of nuclear talks to collapse before they start.

The atmosphere surrounding the ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States is “not very promising,” due to Washington’s continued opposition to Tehran’s right to peaceful uranium enrichment, the Iraqi news outlet wrote, citing the source.

The source said Iran’s negotiating team views recent remarks by US envoy Steve Witkoff with concern, particularly his explicit rejection of any enrichment rights for Tehran. The position, the source added, “clearly contradicts the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”

“If this is the US’s final stance, the new round of talks will fail before they even begin,” the source said, adding that “Tehran will never submit to such an imposed position.”

Iranian lawmakers on Sunday condemned reported plans by US President Donald Trump to rename the Persian Gulf.

According to ISNA, a statement read by Ahmad Naderi, a member of parliament’s presidium, addressed Trump directly, saying: “The Persian Gulf and its geopolitics are divinely granted, not gained through invasion or military force. This is our homeland.”

“Iran owes its enviable position—especially the Persian Gulf—to no power but God. Had you spent less time gambling and more time reading, you’d know this name was given by history, not by bribes or force,” read the statement.

The United States has repeatedly failed to demonstrate genuine intent in talks, said Ali Hadadi, a member of parliament on the floor of Iran’s legislature on Sunday.

“The Americans are once again facing a test of will and sincerity, one they have failed many times,” he added.

Hadadi said that any assumption in Washington that pressure or threats could force Iran to capitulate was a “serious miscalculation.”

“Today, the Islamic Republic’s military strength and regional deterrence speak for themselves. The enemy knows our response will be crushing and regret-inducing.”

Delays in ongoing nuclear negotiations are inflicting damage on Iran’s economy, wrote Iran's Donya-e-Eqtesad newspaper warning that the country's "imbalance-ridden economy is facing a severe liquidity crunch, with depreciation outpacing capital formation, leaving industries parched for investment."

Inflation continues to surge, with rising input costs failing to attract new domestic or foreign capital, the paper noted. Without fresh investment, it added, Iran’s GDP will remain stagnant.

The paper’s “Economists’ Club” section argued that policymakers must pair negotiation planning with domestic reforms, adding that economic security and a stable business environment are key to drawing investment.