Kamal Ghorui
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned Friday that the country is prepared to defend itself against “excessive demands or adventurism” by the United States, ahead of Oman-mediated talks between Tehran and Washington.Speaking in Muscat with Omani FM Badr al-Busaidi, Araghchi said Iran will take the “approach of using diplomacy to secure Iran’s national interests.”“Iran maintains full readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or adventurism by the United States,” he added, as US President Donald Trump refused to rule out military action against Tehran.According to Iranian news agency Mehr, Araghchi and Busaidi “discussed the most important bilateral, regional, and international issues.”Oman previously served as a mediator between Iran and the US during nuclear negotiations in 2025, which were interrupted in June when the Iran-Israel war briefly drew in US forces. After a week of shifting plans, Iran and the US are now set to resume talks in Oman, focusing at least on Tehran’s nuclear program. Earlier discussions in Turkey fell through.Araghchi arrived in Muscat at night with several Iranian diplomats, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. Flight-tracking data showed his plane departed from Tabas, Iran—the site of the failed US Special Forces mission Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, which attempted to rescue hostages after the 1979 US Embassy takeover. A sandstorm forced the mission’s abortion, and eight US service members died when a helicopter crashed into a refueling aircraft. In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, “Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year. 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.”US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, say Iran is at its weakest point since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, following nationwide protests that challenged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule. With the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, additional warships, and fighter jets in the region, the US has the military capability to strike Iran. But whether such action could compel Iran to change its policies—or topple its government—remains uncertain. Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could trigger a wider regional conflict, a risk underscored by recent incidents, including US forces shooting down an Iranian drone and Iran attempting to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
