Iran and US agree to hold nuclear talks Friday in Oman as Trump delivers blunt warning to Khamenei

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place Friday in Oman, the Iranian foreign minister said, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

The announcement Wednesday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, sent a blunt warning to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of the talks.

“I would say he should be very worried,” Trump said of Khamenei in an interview with NBC News.

Turkey had been working behind the scenes to host talks in Istanbul with regional countries taking part and discussions focused on issues like Iran’s ballistic missile program and other concerns.

Early Wednesday, a regional official said Iran was seeking a “different” type of meeting focused exclusively on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, with participation limited to Iran and the United States. The official spoke ...