Tehran reportedly probes diplomacy through Oman even as leaders vow revenge for Khamenei’s elimination.
Iran’s senior security official Ali Larijani has reportedly explored reopening nuclear negotiations with the United States via Omani mediation, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The outreach allegedly followed coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iranian targets over the weekend.
However, Larijani publicly denied the report, stating unequivocally that Iran would not negotiate with Washington. His denial came as he appeared on Iranian television, where he vowed retaliation following the reported elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Larijani, now serving as Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has gained heightened prominence amid leadership shifts inside Tehran. In his televised remarks, he condemned the U.S. action, declaring that Americans would face consequences and insisting that the Iranian public had been deeply angered.
The diplomatic backdrop remains complex. The United States and Iran recently held two rounds of indirect nuclear discussions mediated by Oman, including meetings in Geneva as recently as Thursday. Those talks failed to produce momentum, after which U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the strikes.
Despite the escalation, Trump signaled he remains open to renewed negotiations, though he questioned the timing of Tehran’s outreach. His remarks suggested that diplomatic channels remain technically open, even as tensions intensify.
The conflicting signals highlight a volatile moment in U.S.–Iran relations, where public rhetoric, internal political shifts, and backchannel diplomacy intersect amid heightened regional instability.
