US EditionMiddle East on the Brink of War: Why US-Iran Talks May Be the Last Chance for Peace
The talks aim to test diplomatic options after 15 years of sanctions and proxy conflicts, with both sides seeking mutual recognition and de-escalation, analysts said.
- On February 6, 2026, US and Iranian delegations met in Muscat, Oman, with Abbas Araghchi attending, to clarify positions and test diplomatic pathways, mediated by Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi.
- Years of sanctions and proxy conflict pushed both sides back to negotiations as 15 years of coercion failed to force decisive outcomes, while sanctions devastated Iran's economy and weakened its regional network.
- US officials outlined sweeping demands beyond nuclear restraints, pressing for ballistic missile and governance talks, while Iran emphasised engagement mainly on the nuclear issue, citing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's decree; sequencing nuclear limits first then verification offers the likeliest diplomatic path.
- Markets reacted as oil prices fell and traders covered shorts, with Brent crude down 1.1% to $67.13 and WTI down 1% to $62.26, while Washington's warning to US citizens fuelled public anxiety.
- Diplomacy offers a fragile chance to avoid a new Middle Eastern quagmire, as a conflict with the Islamic Republic would be longer and more destructive; negotiation sequencing may be the only viable strategy.
19 Articles
19 Articles
False alarm: US-Iran talks are not a countdown to conflict
When Iranian and US officials met for talks in the Omani capital of Muscat on February 6, many journalists and analysts were speculating as to whether diplomacy will fail and whether war will inevitably follow. But that framing misses the deeper reality of this moment. The more important question is why both sides have returned […] The post False alarm: US-Iran talks are not a countdown to conflict appeared first on Asia Times.
Republican lawmakers skeptical of reaching deal with Iran, despite Trump’s optimism
Republicans lawmakers continued to dismiss this week the idea that a nuclear deal with Iran is achievable, despite comments by President Donald Trump over the weekend. Trump said that the talks with Iran, held in Oman last Friday, had been “very good,” that Tehran “wants to make a deal very badly” and that he is in “no rush” to move ahead. He also said that the Iranian demand that the talks be only focused on nuclear weapons “would be acceptable…
Oil Slips With Focus on U.S.-Iran Talks
Oil prices fell 1% in early trading as investors closely monitor developments in U.S.-Iran negotiations. Brent crude fell 1.1% to $67.13 a barrel, while WTI was down 1% to $62.26 a barrel. But "there's still plenty of uncertainty over how things will evolve," ING analysts said. "This suggests the m
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