Friday talks between the US and Iran overshadowed by threat of war

Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Friday to discuss Tehran's nuclear program. However, fundamental differences between the two sides suggest that reaching a breakthrough will be extremely difficult.

Washington wants the talks to cover not only the nuclear program, but also Iran's ballistic missiles, support for armed groups in the region, and the human rights situation. Tehran insists that the talks should focus exclusively on nuclear issues.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi said that Iran is entering into diplomacy "in good faith," but stressed the need for mutual respect and compliance with commitments.

Recent events have also increased tensions: in June, the US attacked Iranian nuclear targets following an Israeli bombing campaign, and shortly before the current negotiations, Iran announced the deployment of a new long-range ballistic missile.

Tehran has shown some flexibility on the issue of uranium enrichment, including the possibility of handing over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, but considers its right to enrichment non-negotiable.

US President Donald Trump has warned that if diplomacy fails, "bad things will happen," increasing the risk of further military escalation in the Middle East.

(reuters, max)