Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi continued his diplomatic shuttle yesterday with a stop in Muscat, where he met with the Omani Foreign Minister and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. According to the Omani Foreign Ministry readout, Sultan Haitham was “briefed on Iran’s perspectives” on regional developments, while Araghchi heard “His Majesty’s views on ways to advance these efforts in a manner that enhances prospects for sustainable political solutions and limits the impact of crises on the peoples of the region.” The Sultan emphasized “the importance of prioritizing dialogue and diplomacy.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the visit reflects Tehran’s commitment to “fostering mutual trust and constructive cooperation with its southern neighbors.” While in Muscat, Araghchi spoke by phone with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, briefing both on the state of ceasefire diplomacy. Per Mehr News, Araghchi will return to Islamabad before continuing on to Moscow for the third leg of his tour.
President Trump’s response to active Iranian diplomacy continues to be characterized by aggressive denial. Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said he had scrapped the planned Witkoff-Kushner trip to Pakistan because the talks involved too much travel and expense to consider an inadequate Iranian offer. “Iran offered a lot, but not enough,” he said.
On Truth Social, Trump claimed there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership: “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”