Iran, US open third round of nuclear talks in Oman

Khamenei on Thursday invoked a historic concession by Shia Islam’s second Imam, Hasan ibn Ali, who signed a controversial peace treaty with Mu'awiya in 661 CE. Without directly mentioning the ongoing US nuclear talks, he said the treaty was temporary and necessary to safeguard Islam’s future.

“Some people would come forth with complaints and objections when Imam Hasan made peace with Mu’awiya … it was temporary,” Khamenei said, signaling acceptance of tactical diplomacy.

The allusion mirrors Khamenei’s 2013 justification for the 2015 nuclear deal, when he framed negotiations as an act of “heroic flexibility.” His tone marks a significant shift from February, when he denounced engagement with the United States as “unwise and dishonorable.”

Analyst Hamed Moafagh Behrouzi, in an article published Saturday by the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency, interpreted Khamenei’s recent remarks as a reaffirmation of the Islamic Republic’s unwavering path, warning against simplistic readings of tactical shifts.

He wrote that evolving methods should not be mistaken for a change in objectives, adding, “The Islamic system is exactly on the same divine path.”

Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a senior Iranian political figure, praised the decision to open talks through Omani mediation.

He called the move “shrewd” in an interview with the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, saying, “Diplomacy is, in fact, at the service of the country's security, military, defense, political, economic, and cultural objectives.”

Clerics during Friday prayers echoed the recalibration. Sermons widely broadcast across Iranian media stressed the need for accurate understanding of global conditions.

Tehran’s interim Friday prayers leader Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi-Fard said “Without the slightest doubt, the negotiations began from a position of dignity and power.”

Further endorsement appeared in a commentary by the hardline Kayhan newspaper, which operates under Khamenei’s supervision. The article described the apparent contradiction between opposing direct US talks and later allowing indirect negotiations as “two sides of a battlefield and part of real negotiation tactics.”

“Khamenei at the time did not regard negotiations as honorable or wise but, with steadfastness like Imam Ali’s, forced new conditions upon the enemy,” added the daily.

According to Kayhan, Khamenei “humiliated Trump” by imposing and cementing several strategic frameworks, then allowed indirect talks to “disarm the American president from using any pretext to claim Iranian nuclear military activity.”

Hardline reactions, however, have not been uniformly supportive. Some ultra-conservative figures have voiced frustration, accusing sections of the establishment of weakening the Islamic Republic's position.

In further comments Thursday, Khamenei appeared to address internal dissent, warning, “Our loose lips, our failure to help, our needless protests ... can sometimes have an impact. One must be very careful.”

Commentators noted that while Khamenei’s authority remains unchallengeable, dissatisfaction lingers among hardliners. “He is trying to warn and to provide a rationale (for his decisions) to his radical supporters,” US-based analyst Ali Afshari told Iran International TV.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a veteran conservative and former minister, separately defended Khamenei’s decision on Friday, likening negotiations to a real estate bargaining process where success depends on patience and strategy.

Taken together, the coordinated messaging from political insiders, clerics, and IRGC-linked outlets signals a broader effort to shield Khamenei’s shift from criticism.

Salehi was accompanied by Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican, to pay respects to the late pontiff, who died Monday at the age of 88 after years of declining health.

Live broadcasts showed Salehi and Mokhtari standing near US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden during the ceremony. Footage also showed a heavy presence of Trump’s security personnel surrounding the Iranian representatives at St. Peter’s Square.

Separately, Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva, signed a book of condolences at the Vatican’s permanent mission on Thursday, expressing Tehran’s sympathy, IRNA reported.

Pope Francis, remembered for championing interfaith dialogue, drew tributes from leaders across the world, reflecting the broad reach of his papacy.

Local media quoted the residents as saying the blast shook the ground and was heard in nearby towns.

Hormozgan province’s crisis management chief, Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, said the blast was caused by "the explosion of several stored containers in the port yard" and that "injured individuals are currently being evacuated from the site."

According to Tasnim news agency, the explosion occurred at an administrative building inside the port.

However, Tasnim later reported that a fuel tank had exploded for unknown reasons, prompting the deployment of rapid response teams and the suspension of all port operations.

The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) said in a statement that "the explosion had no connection with the refineries, fuel storage tanks, or oil pipelines related to this company in the area," and that "operations at facilities in Bandar Abbas are continuing without interruption." It added that firefighting and emergency teams from nearby oil companies were on standby to assist port authorities.

There are conflicting accounts about the cause of the explosion, and no official confirmation has been issued.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but Tasnim said the blast caused extensive damage.

This is a developing story.

Still, Iranian officials appear to have been willing to share information with Russian and Chinese counterparts.

While foreign ministry officials have openly expressed a desire to maintain secrecy about the talks' contents, they have coordinated closely with Russian and Chinese counterparts on their progress.

The Revolutionary Guards-linked newspaper Javan reported on Wednesday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's decision to withdraw from a preplanned online meeting at the Carnegie Endowment in New York on Saturday earlier in the week was a "calculated move aimed at controlling the narrative surrounding the Iran-US talks."

"Iran has no intention to negotiate in public," Aragchi said in a post on X on Monday.

Araghchi accused unnamed "special Interest groups" of "attempting to manipulate the course of diplomacy by smearing negotiators and pressuring the US administration to adopt maximalist demands."

While he emphasized that his focus was on "Iran's thoughts and objectives in the talks," he has not provided any substantive explanations to the Iranian public about these goals.

Officials have only vaguely mentioned their primary aim of lifting sanctions.

Araghchi also cited his concerns about the format of the Carnegie Endowment discussion, explaining that he feared his keynote address might turn into "an open Q&A."

Following this, the Carnegie Endowment expressed regret, noting that changes to the agreed format meant they had to cancel Araghchi's attendance.

Seeking a Controlled Narrative

Meanwhile, the Javan newspaper quoted a source saying Tehran is intent on crafting a "controlled narrative" to bolster its position in the talks.

"Iran understands the impact of public perceptions on diplomatic outcomes," the source added. "Avoiding a public platform strengthens its stance and demonstrates its commitment to achieving diplomatic results."

Promoting a Dominant Narrative

This aligns with remarks made by Iranian Government Spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani on April 22, who described Iran's approach to presenting a "dominant narrative" about the negotiations.

"We aim to offer the first narrative after every round of talks," she added. "Consequently, many media outlets have adopted Iran's perspective following statements by Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei immediately after the meetings."

Mohajerani portrayed this as a method of managing media coverage in the interest of transparency and accurate information dissemination. However, her assertion about transparency contradicted Baghaei's earlier comments on April 21.

"Details about the negotiations are not meant to be disclosed to the media," he said.

"Ahmadreza Djalali is being held under very harsh conditions, and his poor health is deteriorating further. This is deeply concerning," Sweden’s foreign minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said in a statement on Friday.

"The government demands that Iran immediately release Ahmadreza Djalali on humanitarian grounds so that he can be reunited with his family," she added.

The statement came as Djalali marked nine years since his arrest in Iran and issued a direct plea to Sweden’s prime minister and the European Parliament in a message from Tehran's Evin prison.

"I am at my breaking point. 3,288 days of suffering and being under risk of execution, showed the inefficacy of words and condemnation," Djalali said.

"If I die here, either due to execution or illness, the officials who were careless and neutral about my situation over all these years and left me behind when they were able to return me home are also responsible in my death," he added.

Djelali was convicted of "corruption on earth" for allegedly spying for Israel by an Iranian revolutionary court in 2017 but said authorities used torture to coax his confession, which was subsequently repeatedly broadcast on state media.

He also criticized the prisoner swaps between Iran and Belgium, and between Iran and Sweden, saying, "In both events, I was used as a bargaining chip but I was left behind without trade and discriminately during the swap of Assadi and Nouri with Belgian and Swedish prisoners in Iran."

As part of a prisoner exchange agreement last year in June, Sweden repatriated a former Iranian official convicted of war crimes, Hamid Nouri, in exchange for the release of two Swedish citizens, Johan Floderus, an EU representative, and Saeed Azizi, who had been detained in Iran on charges of spying for Israel.