Delegates from Iran, US holding talks in Oman amid ongoing tensions: What to know

Delegates from the United States and Iran are holding talks successful Oman connected Saturday successful a delicate effort to restart negotiations implicit Tehran’s arguable atomic program. 

The talks, betwixt a mediator to Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, travel astir 7 years aft President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran's atomic woody with satellite powers successful 2018. Since then, indirect talks betwixt the 2 adversaries person made zero progress.

Trump has imposed caller sanctions connected the Islamic Republic arsenic portion of his "maximum pressure" run and has suggested subject enactment remained a possibility. Despite this, the president has said helium inactive believed a caller woody could beryllium reached by penning a missive to Iran's 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which helium sent aboriginal past month. 

Khamenei, meanwhile, has warned that Iran would respond to immoderate U.S.-led onslaught with an onslaught of its own.

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Donald Trump (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)

"They endanger to perpetrate acts of mischief, but we are not wholly definite that specified actions volition instrumentality place," the ultimate person said. "We bash not see it highly apt that occupation volition travel from the outside. However, if it does, they volition undoubtedly look a beardown retaliatory strike."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called specified threats against Iran "a shocking affront to the precise essence of International Peace and Security."

"Violence breeds violence, bid begets peace. The US tin take the course...; and concede to CONSEQUENCES," helium wrote connected X.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected nonstop negotiations with the United States implicit Tehran's atomic program.

"We don't debar talks; it's the breach of promises that has caused issues for america truthful far," Pezeshkian said successful televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting. "They indispensable beryllium that they tin physique trust."

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a gathering with a radical of students successful Tehran, Iran, connected Wednesday, Nov. 1.  (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Once allies, some countries person been hostile to 1 different for astir fractional a century, pursuing the 1979 Islamic Revolution that saw the instauration of a theocratic authorities led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose regularisation was cemented successful a CIA-led coup successful 1953, had fled Iran earlier the revolution, sick with cancer, arsenic demonstrations swelled against his rule. Late successful 1979, assemblage students overran the U.S. Embassy successful Tehran, seeking the shah's extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage situation that severed diplomatic relations betwixt Iran and the U.S.

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In the decades since, Iran-U.S. relations person see-sawed betwixt enmity and grudging diplomacy, with relations peaking erstwhile Tehran made the 2015 atomic woody with satellite powers earlier Trump withdrew from the deal, sparking much tensions successful the Mideast that persist today.

FILE - This photograph released connected Nov. 5, 2019, by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran shows centrifuge machines successful the Natanz uranium enrichment installation successful cardinal Iran. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP, File)

Under the archetypal 2015 atomic deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67% purity and to support a uranium stockpile of 661 pounds. The past study by the International Atomic Energy Agency connected Iran's programme enactment its stockpile astatine 18,286 pounds arsenic it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity.

U.S. quality agencies measure that Iran has yet to statesman a weapons program, but has "undertaken activities that amended presumption it to nutrient a atomic device, if it chooses to bash so."

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Iran has insisted for decades that its atomic programme is peaceful. However, its officials progressively endanger to prosecute a atomic weapon. Iran present enriches uranium to adjacent weapons-grade levels of 60%, the lone state successful the satellite without a atomic weapons programme to bash so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.