You already know that on Friday Iran and the United States had “talks” in Oman about the nuclear file. If you read some headlines, you’d think “talks” means they actually met…. If you read a few others, you’ll see claims they never even saw each other. So this is one of those situations that literally could have been an email…. Yet both sides still flew senior officials into a royal palace under heavy security with the CENTCOM commander in the room.

So let’s walk through exactly what happened…. Who came…. When they arrived…. What they talked about. Where the versions conflict. And what happens next.

The U.S. entered with maximalist demands: 

Iran called all three a violation of sovereignty….

Marco Rubio said any meaningful deal must cover four baskets together…. Nuclear activities. Ballistic missiles. Support for proxy “terror groups.” The regime’s treatment of its people. 

On whether a deal was realistic, his line was clear: “I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out.”

Tehran, for its part, announced that the Oman talks would deal with the nuclear file only. Iranian officials went on record saying missiles, regional proxies and domestic unrest were off the table.

On substance, the main red line was the right to enrich inside Iran. Iran flatly rejected any halt to enrichment on its territory. It was willing to talk about “level and purity” and even about some kind of regional consortium to share or oversee parts of the fuel cycle. Ending enrichment or shipping out enriched stockpiles were described as “nonstarters”.....

One of those proposals came from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar. According to Al Jazeera, AP and ToI, they suggested Iran freeze enrichment for three years, send existing highly enriched uranium abroad, pledge not to initiate ballistic missile use, and let Russia receive the uranium. Tehran said no. Enrichment stays. The stockpile stays.

So the lines were clear. Washington wanted nuclear, missiles, proxies and human rights on the table. Tehran wanted nuclear only.

On the Iranian side, the delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He and several diplomats landed in Muscat on Thursday night, the day before the talks, according to Iranian state media

On the U.S. side, the political team was Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. In addition, there was Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. He had not been present in earlier Oman rounds. This time he sat in. Al Jazeera and others report that Witkoff and Kushner traveled from Abu Dhabi to Qatar on Thursday night, then on to Oman. 

The talks took place at a royal palace complex in Muscat, Oman. The same palace had been used for U.S.–Iran back‑channels the year before.

Security was tight and controlled. On the day before the talks, Omani border officials were unusually strict about people bringing cameras into the country. Journalists were kept outside the compound. Their only view of the process came from watching cars go in and out and from official statements.

On Friday morning, the sequence went like this:

First, the Iranian convoy arrived. Associated Press reporters on the ground saw a line of Iranian vehicles enter the palace compound. Inside, Araghchi met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al‑Busaidi. Iranian outlets confirmed the meeting and released photos of the two of them talking. When that meeting ended, the Iranian convoy left and returned to its hotel in Muscat.

Only after the Iranian cars had exited did another convoy pull up. This one included an SUV flying the American flag. Reporters watched it drive into the palace grounds. That U.S. convoy stayed inside for roughly ninety minutes before leaving.

Later, the Oman News Agency released photos showing Witkoff, Kushner, Araghchi, Badr al‑Busaidi and Admiral Brad Cooper all present in various configurations. So at some point that day, they were all under the same roof and in the same rooms, even if the choreography at the gate was strictly separated.

One of the most unusual elements of this round is the open presence of Admiral Brad Cooper. 

Israeli Channel 12, via Times of Israel, reported that the Iranian delegation was outraged to see the region’s top U.S. military commander in the room. Some reportedly compared it to “conducting negotiations with a gun on the table.” The same report suggested this may have been intentional by Washington…..using Cooper’s presence to signal a threat to Iran while keeping a diplomatic channel open.

Araghchi called the participation of the U.S. central command chief unacceptable.

At the same time, Channel 12 quoted a senior Israeli official warning that any Iranian attack on Israel would trigger a response “like Operation Rising Lion on steroids,” recalling Israel’s June 2025 operation that seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure. Another Israeli official said he did not expect an agreement to come out of Muscat because the gaps between the sides remained too large.

Here is where the accounts start to disagree….

Oman’s official line is that the talks were indirect. Badr al‑Busaidi met Araghchi and his team. Separately, he met Witkoff and Kushner. No joint press conference.
Araghchi, speaking to Al Jazeera, confirmed that the chosen structure was indirect….. But he added that he had “direct contact with the U.S. delegation” and that there was a handshake. 

Israeli Channel 12, in a report picked up by the Times of Israel, went further…. They reported that there was an in person meeting between Witkoff, Kushner and Araghchi, while the rest of the day followed an indirect model.

Journalists, who never saw the inside of the palace, could only confirm that the motorcades did not overlap. They cannot answer what happened once the doors closed.

The most realistic option is that the talks were structured and publicly branded as indirect…. But inside that palace, there was at least one short direct encounter and a handshake.
Enough for Araghchi to mention it, and for Omani photos to show them in the same rooms. Not enough for Oman to call it full direct negotiations.

Araghchi later told Al Jazeera that Iran is prepared to reach an agreement that assures the Americans that enrichment in Iran will be peaceful. “We are ready for that.” At the same time, he reiterated that Iran will not accept a complete halt to enrichment.

An Iranian diplomat told Reuters that Iran refused U.S. calls to stop enrichment on Iranian soil but was willing to discuss the “level and purity” of enrichment and options like a regional consortium.
That same diplomat said U.S. negotiators “seemed to understand Iran’s stance on the enrichment” and “showed flexibility” about Tehran’s demands.
What was not discussed is also important….. That diplomat, and Iranian officials elsewhere, say Iranian missile capabilities were not discussed at all. Tehran’s support for militias and proxies, its Axis of Resistance, also remained off the agenda, in line with Iran’s stated precondition that its “deterrent network” is not negotiable. 

That sits directly at odds with the U.S. line that missiles and proxies must be part of any sustainable deal. 

Being that this all started because of Iran killing thousands of civilians, and it not even being put up for discussion….So far, it seems the Iranians controlled the agenda.

After the U.S. convoy left, the statements began.

Oman confirmed that Badr al‑Busaidi met each side separately.
It said the consultations were about “establishing suitable conditions” for resuming more formal diplomatic and technical talks.

Araghchi called the talks a “good start” and a “promising beginning.” He said Iran and the U.S. agreed to continue negotiations at a later date, after “discussion in capitals.” He repeated that Iran would not accept a total stop to enrichment. The next day he added that if Washington carries out a threatened strike, Iran would hit U.S. bases in the region.

Trump said from Air Force One that these were “very good talks,” but stressed, “we have to see what that deal is.” He claimed “Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly.” U.S. officials told CNN and others that another round would likely be held “early next week.” Araghchi said publicly that no date had yet been fixed.  Trump framed the whole thing with his usual mix of pressure and optimism. From Air Force One and elsewhere he said the U.S. had had “very good talks” with Iran already, claimed “Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly,” and warned that a “big fleet” was heading toward Iran. He also said Khamenei “should be very worried.”

Interestingly, immediately after the Muscat round, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on Iranian oil exports and 14 tankers carrying that oil. That shows you something…

First, the talks did not collapse. Both sides agreed to continue. 

Second, the agenda on the day remained nuclear only. Iran successfully kept missiles and proxies out of the formal discussions. The U.S. is still publicly insisting those issues must be included in any real deal. 

Third, Iran’s core position on enrichment did not move. There is no sign Tehran is willing to halt enrichment entirely or ship out its stockpile. The only movement is at the technical margins…..purity, quantity, oversight and possible consortium structures.

Fourth, U.S. pressure escalated in parallel with the talks. New sanctions were put in place immediately after. Iran responds with its own threats against U.S. bases.

According to Channel 12, U.S. negotiators told the Iranians they expect Tehran to turn up at the next meeting with a “tangible and significant concession related to the nuclear file.” No one has said publicly what that concession should be.

According to Jerusalem Post, Israeli defense officials warned the U.S. that Iran's ballistic missile program is now an existential threat that could prompt unilateral Israeli strikes if crossed.

Israel shared detailed possible strike plans targeting missile factories and infrastructure, calling this a historic chance to gut the program…..Officials fear Trump might opt for limited strikes like against the Houthis, leaving core capabilities intact and Israel exposed. Israel does not want to let that happen

IDF Brig. Gen. Omer Tishler, the incoming Israeli Air Force commander, is set to accompany Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday’s U.S. visit, where they are expected to meet President Trump and other U.S. officials.

Mohammad Javad Larijani says that "Iran's response to aggression will no longer be limited 'eye for an eye.' US assets are dispersed across the region….our strike will be broad, hitting wide: severe damage, with coffins returning to Washington, lost interests everywhere.
We'll go offensive, targeting sources of US presence to inflict heavy damage and curb instability drivers."

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization says that the issue of 60% uranium enrichment depends completely on whether Trump decides to lift sanctions…He sais the removal of uranium has not been the agenda on the table, and if it had been, countries have offered to help negotiate.

So you are left with this. A palace in Muscat. A handshake that some outlets say happened and others ignore. An Iranian plan that covers only the nuclear file. An American side that says missiles and proxies cannot be ignored.

On paper, the whole thing really could have been an email. In reality, both sides chose to send their people, sit under the same roof, and test whether there is any space at all to keep this from sliding back into war. That is where we are now.

1. Somalia/Saudi Military Pact
Somalia and Saudi Arabia signed a defense cooperation agreement to strengthen military ties. The deal focuses on joint training, intelligence sharing, and counterterrorism operations.
It arrives as Gulf states counter Houthi threats in the Red Sea, with Riyadh eyeing Somali basing options for regional stability and better positioning against the Houthis.

2. Mashal's Al Jazeera Forum Keynote + Freudian Slip
Sanctioned terrorist and Hamas leader Khaled Mashal headlined the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha and declared that full disarmament is unacceptable, calling it equivalent to “ripping the soul from Palestinian resistance”. He floated a 5–10 year truce where weapons would be stored under Qatar, Egypt, and US guarantees.
A viral slip showed him saying "to a free Israel" before correcting to "free Palestine," which caught the audience in its tracks. A very interesting slip of the tongue.

3. Israel's Execution Prep for Terror Convicts
Channel 13 reports that Israel's Prison Service is preparing to enforce the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners convicted of terrorism. They are building a hanging facility, training volunteer execution teams, and aiming to carry out sentences within 90 days of a final verdict. This would mark the first such executions since 1962, tied to October 7 atrocities and hostage negotiations.

4. Hezbollah Artillery Chief Ahmad Ali Salami Eliminated
The IDF conducted a drone strike in Yanouh, Lebanon, eliminating Hezbollah artillery commander Ahmad Ali Salami. He directed rocket attacks during the 2023/24 war and was rebuilding launch sites in civilian areas. The strike is part Israel's ongoing campaign to disrupt Hezbollah's post war military reconstitution and their refusal to honor the agreement struck as part of the ceasefire.

5. David Albright (ISIS) on Iranian Earthworks
David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security analyzed new satellite imagery showing earthworks at a suspected Iranian nuclear site. He assesses these as likely preparations to protect enriched uranium assets ahead of potential strikes, signaling Tehran expects further attacks on its program.

6. NYT: Iran Prioritizes Missile Sites Over Nuclear Repairs
The New York Times reviewed satellite imagery revealing Iran rapidly restoring ballistic missile sites damaged in Israeli and US strikes from June 2025. Nuclear facility repairs remain minimal by comparison, indicating Tehran's short-term priority is rebuilding offensive missile capabilities over its atomic infrastructure.

7. UK Epstein Fallout: Mandelson, Starmer 
Fresh US Epstein files exposed Peter Mandelson's deep ties….emails, payments, alleged sharing of UK government info during the 2008 crisis. Starmer fired him as US ambassador in 2025; Mandelson then quit Labour and the House of Lords (early Feb 2026) amid a Metropolitan Police probe for misconduct. Fallout hit Starmer hard: Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigned Sunday (Feb 8), owning the "wrong" call to elevate Mandelson and taking full responsibility to advise Starmer…. Communications Director Tim Allan quit Monday (Feb 9). Opposition calls it "untenable" for Starmer; his team insists he'll stay amid Labour's supposed “worst crisis yet”.

8. Gaza Flotilla Activist's Warship Plan
British activist Ousman Babir Noor announced at a conference plans for a massive new Gaza flotilla: 1,000 ships protected by warships from "certain countries." He claimed it could "captivate the world" and spark a one million man march into the West Bank, aiming to force a confrontation over Gaza access.