Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that Iran had halted indirect talks with the US via Omani mediators amid anticipation of a US-supported Israeli attack on Iranian territory.
“Currently, we do not see any ground for these talks, until we can get past the current crisis,” Araghchi said during a visit to Oman, according to Iran’s PressTV.
When asked if he had sent any messages to the US while visiting Oman, Araghchi said, “During the trip, no message has been sent to other countries.”
Earlier this year, Axios reported that the US and Iran held indirect talks in Oman to avoid regional escalations. “Oman has always contributed greatly to solving the regional problems, and regarding Iran and the US, it has always tried to play a positive role in conveying a message or preparing the ground for negotiations,” Araghchi said.
On October 3, Al Jazeera reported that Iran did send one message to the US: that its phase of “self-restraint” is over and that any Israeli attack on its territory would provoke a major response.
Earlier in the year, Iran was carefully working to avoid a direct clash with the US. In April, when Iran responded to the Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, it gave a 72-hour notice before it fired missiles and drones at Israel.
Iran did not provide any notice when it fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, which came in retaliation for a string of Israeli escalations in the region, including the assassination of Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
Israel’s attack on Iran could provoke a major war that would involve the US, as the US is vowing to defend Israel and is deploying a THAAD missile system and about 100 troops to Israel for that purpose. The US may also support the expected Israeli attack, either through direct military action or by providing intelligence.
