Iran, US prepare for talks in Oman

Iran and the United States were preparing for talks on Friday in Oman, with Washington looking to see if there was any prospect of diplomatic progress on the Iranian nuclear programme and other issues while refusing to rule out military action.

The talks -- finally confirmed by both sides late Wednesday after uncertainty over the location, timing and format -- will be the first such encounter between the two foes since the United States joined Israel's war against the Islamic republic in June with strikes on nuclear sites.

President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to lead their delegations at the negotiations in the discreet Gulf sultanate, which has periodically acted as a mediator between the countries.

"Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year. We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights," Araghchi wrote on X ahead of the talks.

"Commitments need to be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric - they are a must and the pillars of a durable agreement," he said.

Iran said on Thursday it had a "responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy" to preserve peace, adding it hoped Washington would participate in the discussions "with responsibility, realism and seriousness".

The US delegation intends to explore "zero nuclear capacity" for Iran, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, warning that Trump had "many options at his disposal aside from diplomacy".