In a bid to ease ongoing tensions, the United States and Iran are scheduled to engage in diplomatic discussions in Oman on Friday. These talks are part of a broader effort to address the strained relations between the two nations.

The agenda for the meeting remains a contentious issue. Iran is firm on focusing solely on its nuclear program, while the United States is pushing to include topics such as human rights and Iran’s missile capabilities.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, during his recent visit to the Gulf region, expressed “great concern” over the potential for conflict escalation with Iran. He conveyed these worries during meetings with regional officials.

At a press conference in Doha, Merz, representing a US ally, called on Iran to cease what he described as aggressive behavior and to contribute to regional stability.

This dialogue comes amidst heightened hostilities between the US and Iran, following Iran’s harsh suppression of anti-government protests. These demonstrations have been the most significant challenge to the Iranian regime since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In recent weeks, the Middle East has witnessed a notable increase in US military presence. This military build-up includes the recent incident where a US military action shot down an Iranian drone, which was reported to have approached an aircraft carrier in an “aggressive” manner.

The discussions were initially to be held in Türkiye, but Iran pushed for a venue change because it wanted a continuation of previous talks in Oman that solely focused on its nuclear program.

Iran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, while the US — which struck Iranian nuclear targets last year — and Israel have accused it of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is expected to take part in the Oman talks, along with US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, officials said.

“If the Iranians want to meet, we’re ready,” US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

Rubio said the talks needed to include the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles, its support for armed proxy groups and human rights, in addition to nuclear issues.

However, senior Iranian officials said Iran’s missile program was “off the table” and US insistence on broaching other subjects would jeopardise discussions.

Doubts were raised if the talks would even take place, with leaders of both countries trading barbs.

Asked on Wednesday if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, US President Donald Trump said: “I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be.”

Araghchi left for Oman on Thursday. His spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would engage “with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue”.

“We hope the American side will also participate in this process with responsibility, realism and seriousness,” Baghaei added.

Last week, Araghchi warned that Iran’s armed forces had “their fingers on the trigger” in response to any potential aggression.

— With additional reporting by Reuters news agency

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