United States President Donald Trump warned that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be very worried as both nations prepare for critical nuclear negotiations scheduled for Friday in Muscat, Oman.
In an interview with NBC News released Wednesday, Trump delivered a blunt message when asked whether Khamenei should be concerned. “I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be,” Trump stated, adding that Iranian officials are currently negotiating with Washington.
The high-stakes discussions will take place Friday morning in the Omani capital between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, following intense diplomatic efforts to salvage talks that nearly collapsed over disagreements about venue and agenda. The announcement came after several Arab and Muslim leaders urged the Trump administration not to abandon diplomacy despite Iranian demands to relocate from the originally planned Istanbul venue and narrow the scope of discussions.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated sharply following a violent crackdown by Iranian security forces on nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in late December 2025. Death toll estimates vary widely, with Iran’s government reporting 3,117 deaths while international monitors and medical sources cite figures ranging from several thousand to potentially over 20,000 deaths. The United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency documented 6,842 confirmed deaths as of 1 February, with thousands more cases under investigation.
Trump has responded to the crackdown by deploying a United States military armada led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region and repeatedly threatening strikes if negotiations fail. Iran’s military has warned that any attack would trigger immediate retaliation against United States forces and assets throughout the Middle East.
The talks come months after American strikes devastated Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 during a twelve-day conflict between Iran and Israel. “If we didn’t take out that nuclear, we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East, because the Arab countries could have never done that,” Trump told NBC News. “They were very, very afraid of Iran. They’re not afraid of Iran anymore.”
Trump also revealed he had received intelligence suggesting Iran was attempting to rebuild its nuclear programme at alternative sites. “They tried to go back to the site. They weren’t even able to get near it,” he said, describing complete destruction of the targeted facilities. “But they were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country. We found out about it. I said, you do that, we’re going to do bad things to you.”
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the Trump administration wants negotiations to address not only Iran’s nuclear programme but also its ballistic missile range, sponsorship of regional militant organizations, and treatment of its citizens. However, citing Iran’s foreign ministry, state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported Iran will limit negotiations to its nuclear programme with lifting of sanctions as the country’s primary demand.
Multiple rounds of indirect nuclear talks between April and May 2025 ended when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran in mid-June, followed days later by United States military action that effectively halted the diplomatic process.
Military incidents continue to heighten tensions. On Tuesday, a United States aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian drone that aggressively approached the vessel in the Arabian Sea, according to United States Central Command. Hours later, two gunboats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps approached a United States-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to board and seize the ship, said Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for United States Central Command.
The protests that triggered the current crisis began with economic grievances but expanded into broader anti-government demonstrations across Iran. Following violent suppression, Trump first threatened military action last month, publicly supporting demonstrators despite stopping short of direct intervention. Internet connectivity was severely restricted during the crackdown, with a nearly three-week nationwide blackout that has been only partially restored, hampering information flow from inside the country.
Neighboring countries have been actively mediating between Washington and Tehran to prevent a wider regional conflict, noting that any military confrontation could destabilize the entire Middle East. Regional representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are expected to attend or participate in Friday’s diplomatic efforts.
