US removes Oman from Iran talks, citing two-faced mediation role

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — A senior US official said Oman has been effectively removed as a mediator in US-Iran talks after Washington accused the Gulf state of acting as "an agent of Iran," CNN reported. The official, speaking anonymously, said the United States was dissatisfied with the role played by the Omani side and had pushed it out of the process. Oman had hosted indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a function it also performed on the eve of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. The United States and Iran have used Omani channels in the past to advance back-channel diplomacy on the nuclear file and other disputes. Neither Oman nor Iran has publicly responded to the US remarks. The reported move comes about a month after US President Donald Trump threatened to "obliterate" Oman if it controlled the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the strategic waterway must remain open. The State Department and the US Special Envoy's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and no further details on the status of the talks were available.