Muscat: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and his Omani counterpart, Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, convened in Muscat, Oman, to deliberate on the forthcoming third round of indirect discussions between Iran and the United States.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Araqchi arrived in Muscat with a diplomatic and technical team to advance the dialogue. The initial round of discussions occurred in Muscat on April 12, followed by a second meeting in Rome, Italy, on April 19, with Oman serving as the mediator in both instances.

The next phase of negotiations will again be facilitated by the Omani foreign minister. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Muscat from Moscow, Russia, on Saturday morning.

The third round of talks is slated to commence with an expert-level indirect meeting. Nonetheless, the presence of senior negotiators from both the American and Iranian sides in Muscat raises the possibility of an alteration in the proceedings, potentially enabling indirect dialogue between Araqchi and Witkoff, with Albusaidi acting as the mediator.