DUBAI, Feb 4 – The United States and Iran are set to hold talks in Oman on Friday after Tehran requested a change of venue to limit talks to its nuclear program, a regional official said, as the build-up of U.S. forces in the Middle East raises fears of a confrontation.
Iran wanted the meeting to take place in Oman as a continuation of previous rounds of talks held in the Gulf Arab country over its nuclear program, requesting a change of venue from Turkey to avoid any expansion of discussions to issues such as Tehran’s ballistic missiles, the regional official said.
Iran has said it will not make concessions on its ballistic missile program — one of the largest in the Middle East — calling it a red line in negotiations.
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Tehran, which says it has replenished its stockpile of ballistic missiles since being attacked by Israel last year, has warned it will launch its missiles to defend the Islamic Republic if its security is threatened.
The regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran emphasized from the beginning that it would only discuss its nuclear program, while Washington wanted other issues on the table.
Oil prices extended gains on Wednesday after the US shot down an Iranian drone and Iranian armed boats approached a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, reigniting fears of an escalation between Washington and Tehran.
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