Media: US and Iran held indirect talks in Oman in May

US and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Oman last month with Omani officials shuttling between their separate rooms to deliver messages, three sources briefed on the issue told Axios, Report informs.

The “proximity talks,” which haven't been previously reported, represent the first known indirect engagement between the US and Iran in this way in several months. They took place amid growing concerns in the White House about Iran’s nuclear advances.

White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk traveled to Oman secretly on May 8 for talks with Omani officials on possible diplomatic outreach to Iran regarding its nuclear program, as Axios reported last week. According to the three sources briefed on the issue, an Iranian delegation also arrived in Oman at the same time. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kan was part of the delegation, one of the sources said. McGurk and the Iranian officials didn't meet, according to the sources. The two sides were in separate locations with Omani officials going between them and passing messages.

The sources said the US made it clear that Iran will pay a heavy price if it moves forward with 90% uranium enrichment - the level needed to produce a nuclear weapon. The aim of the indirect exchange of messages between the Biden administration and Iran was to reach an "understanding" about ways to de-escalate the Iranian nuclear program, Iran’s behavior in the region and its involvement in the war in Ukraine, the sources said.