New information has emerged regarding an indirect meeting earlier this year between the U.S. and Iran. According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, talks took place in Oman in January with the two sides exchanging messages through intermediaries. The discussions covered various topics, including Iran's nuclear program and Houthi attacks on U.S. ships in the Red Sea.
This marks the first known engagement between the U.S. and Iran since a prisoner swap between the two countries last September. The talks occurred while U.S. and UK troops were targeting Iranian proxies, specifically the Houthi rebels in Yemen who were launching missiles at commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
During the discussions, the American and Iranian sides were in the same building but communicated through Omani intermediaries. Apart from the Houthi attacks and Iran's nuclear program, the talks also touched upon the U.S. targeting Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria.
Although there were discussions about potential future engagements between the two countries, no such meetings have taken place yet. The State Department declined to confirm the talks, emphasizing that there are multiple channels for conveying messages to Iran, all aimed at urging Iran to de-escalate tensions.
