Israeli Website Reveals Covert US-Iran Talks Aimed at Easing Middle East Tensions

US and Iranian officials held “secret” talks in Oman to address the escalating tensions in the Middle East, an Israeli website reported on Saturday.

According to the Walla website, quoting two unnamed sources, the United States and Iran held secret talks in Oman on Tuesday regarding the escalation in the Middle East. The talks were attended on the American side by Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden’s senior adviser for Middle East affairs, and US envoy for Iran Abram Paleya. However, the website did not mention the identities of the Iranian officials who met with the US officials.

This is the first round of indirect talks between the two parties since last January, when a similar meeting was held in Oman. The indirect negotiations were held under the mediation of Oman, about a month after Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel. The US administration was reportedly trying to prevent the crisis in the Middle East from turning into a regional war.

Iran carried out an attack on Israel on April 14 using hundreds of missiles and drones, which Tel Aviv claimed to have “successfully” thwarted with the assistance of its international allies. The United States believes that Iran wields considerable influence over its proxies and allies across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Syria and Iraq engaged in attacks against American forces, and the Houthis in Yemen, who continue to target ships in the Red Sea.

During the discussions, the United States outlined the potential repercussions of operations for Iran and its proxies in the region, while also expressing concerns about the escalation of the Iranian nuclear program, according to the sources quoted by the website.

There were no official statements from either Iran or Oman regarding the talks, and the White House and the US State Department declined to comment on the report, though they did not explicitly deny it, the website said.

Meanwhile, Israel continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave. Nearly 35,400 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and more than 79,300 others injured since last October following a Hamas attack.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

The talks between the US and Iranian officials in Oman come at a critical time as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate. The outcome of these discussions could have far-reaching implications for the region and beyond.