MUSCAT, Oman: Iran has expressed openness to “serious efforts at de-escalation” following a wave of US and Israeli strikes, according to Oman’s Foreign Ministry, as tensions in the Middle East continued to escalate.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Omani counterpart, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, that Tehran welcomed any genuine attempts to reduce regional tensions, the statement said as cited by Al Jazeera.
He also described the joint US–Israeli attacks on Iran as “a cause of escalating tension and panic in the region.”
Oman has played a mediating role in nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, and Al Busaidi met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Friday.
Trump agrees to talks with new Iranian leadership
US President Donald Trump said in interviews with The Atlantic and Fox News that Iran’s new leadership has expressed a desire to engage with Washington, and he has agreed to talks.
“They want to talk and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he was quoted as saying by The Atlantic magazine.
“They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,” Trump added.
He did not specify when the discussions would occur.
Earlier, Trump claimed that 48 Iranian leaders have been killed in the US–Israeli bombardments, describing the strikes as “moving along rapidly” and a “success” for the United States.
The interviews were conducted before the US military announced its first casualties in the conflict: three service members killed, five seriously wounded, and several others lightly injured.
Israel vows to intensify strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of escalating military operations against Tehran.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said: “Our forces are now striking at the heart of Tehran with intense power, and this will only escalate in the days ahead.”
Iranian media reported that an attack on a border regiment headquarters in Mehran, near Iraq, killed 43 members of the security forces, most of them border guards, and damaged nearby buildings.
The Mehr news agency claimed that the strike was carried out by “agents of the United States and the Zionist regime,” Iran’s term for Israel.
Indonesia offers to mediate
On Saturday, Indonesia offered to mediate between the United States and Iran after earlier negotiations collapsed.
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said President Prabowo Subianto is ready to travel to Tehran to facilitate dialogue if both sides agree.
The ministry warned that increasing tensions could destabilise the region and disrupt world peace and security.
It called for “maximum restraint” and stressed that differences should be resolved through diplomacy, respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Saturday. The strikes followed a significant US military build-up in the region.
