US Opts Out of Oman Talks with Iran, Coordinates Remotely via Oman and Qatar

The American negotiating delegation will not travel to the Sultanate of Oman to participate directly in the upcoming talks with Iranian representatives, according to CBS. Despite this, diplomatic efforts persist to maintain open communication channels between the two sides.

Sources familiar with the matter told CBS that during the negotiations, the United States will rely on continuous coordination and communication mechanisms with Oman and Qatar, who are acting as mediators and facilitators of dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

This development follows an earlier CBS report revealing that US President Donald Trump instructed his negotiating team—including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner—to continue the negotiation process with Iran.

In a related update, a CBS journalist on the "X" platform stated that the Vice President will not attend the scheduled talks in Oman, nor will Rubio, Kushner, or Witkoff, and the specialized US technical negotiating team will also be absent. The journalist clarified that Washington will continue to monitor and coordinate the talks remotely with Omani and Qatari officials. Meanwhile, political circles await the outcomes of ongoing communications among the involved parties amid efforts to sustain the dialogue despite the absence of direct American participation.

ABC News quoted US officials saying that the United States and Iran are set to resume talks on Saturday in Oman, with American anticipation for an Iranian announcement confirming the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the restoration of navigation to pre-conflict conditions.

The officials added that Washington demands Tehran issue an official statement declaring all routes through the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping traffic, along with a commitment not to target vessels again. They noted that failure to release such a statement by Saturday would not be viewed positively by the US administration.