Mediator Oman calls on Iran, US to resume nuclear talks

• Oman, Iran’s traditional intermediary, hosted five rounds of US-Iran talks this year

MANAMA: Oman, which hosted several rounds of US-Iran nuclear talks that were derailed by the Israel-Iran war in June, urged the countries on Saturday to go back to the negotiating table.

“We want to return to the negotiations between Iran (and) the United States,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said during a panel at the IISS Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain.

Oman, Iran’s traditional intermediary, hosted five rounds of US-Iran talks this year. However, “just three days before the sixth and possibly decisive round of talks, Israel unleashed its bombs and missiles in an illegal and deadly act of sabotage,” Albusaidi said.

The talks had aimed for a new agreement that would curb Iran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Albusaidi called for fellow Gulf nations to favor dialogue with Iran and others long seen as foes and rivals in the region. “Over the years, the GCC has at best sat back and permitted the isolation of Iran,” he said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council regional bloc.

“I believe this needs to change,” Albusaidi added. “Oman has long hoped for a more comprehensive mechanism for dialogue with all states in the region including Iran, Iraq and Yemen,” he said.