American and Iranian delegations are meeting in Oman on Friday to try to renew dialogue. If Tehran only agrees to discuss its nuclear program, Washington also wants to talk about other subjects, notably Iranian ballistic missiles and the repression of the population.

Published on: 02/06/2026 - 08:31 Modified on: 02/06/2026 - 08:32

The United States and Iran are meeting in Oman on Friday February 6 for crucial discussions as the threat of a new American military intervention looms over a region plagued by conflicts since 2023.

Washington wants discussions to focus on Iran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles, its support for armed groups in the region and the way the Islamic Republic "treats its own people," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday. Iran, for its part, says it will only agree to discuss its nuclear program.

Here are the main bones of contention between the two countries.

Nuclear program

Iran's nuclear program has sparked concern since 2003, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had failed to comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), after revealing that the country was carrying out secret nuclear activities.

The ‍NPT gives Iran the right to conduct a civilian nuclear energy program, but prohibits it from using this technology, particularly uranium enrichment, to develop atomic weapons.

In 2015, Iran concluded an agreement with the major Western powers, as well as China and Russia, which severely restricted its nuclear activities and in return eased the international sanctions that had been imposed on it.

But Donald Trump withdrew the United States from this agreement concluded by his predecessor Barack Obama during his first term, calling it "the worst agreement ever concluded." Indirect talks resumed under President Joe Biden, but without much progress. Iran has begun enriching uranium to 60%, not far from the 90% needed to make a bomb.

Also read Follow our live coverage of the negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman

Upon his return to the White House in early 2025, Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it did not agree to conclude a new agreement. Several rounds of negotiations took place without success.

In June, Israel and the United States attacked Iran, particularly targeting its nuclear sites, before negotiating a ceasefire. The condition of the damaged facilities remains uncertain.

Also read: Iran-Israel: the story of 12 days of open war

Ballistic missiles

Iran has one of the largest stockpiles of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. Tehran fired missiles at Israel for the first time in 2024, in retaliation for an attack on its embassy in Damascus, as the region was on the brink of widespread conflict following Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023.

Last June, Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel, killing dozens of people and testing Israel's air defenses.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on January 30 that "Iran's defensive and ballistic capabilities, as well as Iranian missiles, will never be the subject of negotiations."

Marco Rubio, for his part, called for discussions on “the range [of] ballistic missiles”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in January that Iran's ballistic missiles posed as serious a threat to Israel as its nuclear program.

Regional allies

Iran has long exercised its influence in the region by supporting armed groups such as the Palestinian Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah or the Houthis in Yemen.

Described by Tehran as the “axis of resistance”, these groups represented a serious threat to Israel at the time of the October 7 attacks.

Israel dealt severe blows to Hezbollah, Hamas and to a lesser extent the Houthis in the conflicts that followed. Iran's regional influence was further weakened by the fall of its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, at the end of 2024.

However, neither Hamas nor Hezbollah have yet agreed to lay down their arms. As for the Houthis, although they have stopped attacking commercial ships crossing the Red Sea, they still firmly control the most populated areas of Yemen.

The United States is also seeking to reduce the influence of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. Washington has threatened Baghdad with sanctions if they are allowed to participate in the government.

Protests in Iran

Donald Trump intensified his threats of intervention against Iran during the particularly deadly repression of anti-government demonstrations provoked by the rise in the cost of living at the start of the year.

The American president seemed on the verge of ordering bombings before retracting, notably saying that Tehran had given up on executing hundreds of demonstrators by hanging.

Also readSecret detentions, caregivers arrested: in Iran, more than 50,000 arrests according to NGOs

The demonstrations having been bloodily suppressed, repression is no longer put forward by the Trump administration, even if Marco Rubio said he would like this issue to be part of the negotiations.

With Reuters

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