ALBAWABA - Israeli media said that US and Iranian delegates had private talks in Oman with the goal of reducing tensions in the Middle East. Discussions on the unrest in the area were the major topic of conversation at the Tuesday, May 14, meeting, according to sources who asked to remain anonymous.
Brett McGurk, the White House National Security Council's coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, was purportedly part of the American group. But information on the Iranian participants was kept under wraps.
Following a similar session that took place in Oman earlier in January, this covert meeting represented the first round of indirect discussions between the United States and Iran.
It was highlighted that the timing of the Oman-mediated negotiations, which took place around a month after Iran attacked Israel, indicated that the US government is actively working to stop the Middle East situation from developing into a major regional war.
The United States allegedly believes it has significant power over Iran's regional proxies and allies, including groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias fighting US interests in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen, who are notorious for attacking ships in the Red Sea.
During the talks, the United States expressed its concerns about the possible fallout from assaults that Iran and its allies in the area may launch. Concerns were also expressed on Iran's continued development of its nuclear program.
