Senior U.S. and Iranian officials held negotiations on Friday in Oman amid heightened tensions and warnings from both sides that the standoff could slide into a military confrontation.

The talks come against the backdrop of a significant U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran, following Iran’s violent crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests and continued disputes over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The U.S. delegation is led by President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, while Iran’s team is headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments need to be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric—they are a must and the pillars of a durable agreement.”

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said he held separate consultations on Friday with senior Iranian and U.S. delegations at a palace on the outskirts of Muscat before the talks began.

According to a statement on X by Oman’s Foreign Ministry, Al Busaidi met with the Iranian delegation led by Araghchi as well as with the U.S. delegation represented by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

“The consultations focused on preparing appropriate conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasizing their importance in light of the parties’ desire to ensure their success, in pursuit of sustainable security and stability,” he said.

Al Busaidi reiterated Oman’s commitment to “continuing to support dialogue and rapprochement between the parties” and to working with regional and international partners to reach mutually acceptable solutions.

It is the first round of talks between American and Iranian officials since the war between Israel and the Islamic Republic last June, which ended shortly after the U.S. bombed Iran’s main nuclear facilities. The talks follow days of uncertainty over their location and scope, after a planned meeting in Istanbul was scrapped due to disagreements over format and agenda.

While Iran has said the discussions will focus solely on its nuclear program and sanctions relief, U.S. officials have insisted that any meaningful agreement must also address Iran’s ballistic missile program, its support for regional terrorist organizations and its treatment of its own citizens.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that limiting the talks to the nuclear file would be insufficient. “In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things,” Rubio said, citing Iran’s missile program, regional proxy activity and human-rights record.

In recent weeks, Trump has warned that Washington is prepared to use force if diplomacy fails, describing the deployment of additional U.S. troops, warships and aircraft to the region as an “armada.” Iran has responded by threatening to strike Israel and American military assets in the Middle East in the event of a U.S. attack.

Despite Washington’s stated willingness to negotiate, U.S. officials have expressed skepticism about the prospects for an agreement. Rubio said he was unsure whether a deal could be reached, but the administration was prepared to test Iran’s intentions.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that Trump was seeking a diplomatic resolution, but she echoed the president’s warning that  “bad things” could happen if a deal is not struck.

“While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world,” she said.

Israeli officials have been closely monitoring the talks, amid concerns that Iran is using diplomacy to buy time while advancing its nuclear capabilities and strengthening its regional proxies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Security Cabinet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the deepening Iran crisis ahead of the talks between Washington and Tehran in Oman.

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