Planned nuclear talks between US and Iran ease war fears, for now

(News Agency)-A potential regional war is a bigger worry in the Gulf than tariffs, but that risk has been momentarily defused after Washington and Tehran agreed to hold nuclear talks in Oman.
While no timeline was announced to reach a deal, the meetings this weekend could offer a path to easing tensions, according to Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus. But the window won’t stay open for long, she warned.
The diplomatic overture follows Israel’s claim that it has weakened Iran’s air defenses and a watchdog’s warning over Tehran’s accelerating uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, the US is ramping up its regional diplomatic and military presence — the latter with strikes against the Houthis in Yemen and a carrier battle group on its way to the Middle East.
Against this backdrop, some of the most senior leaders from the US and the Middle East — including Israel — joined talks in Abu Dhabi this week, where they discussed how the region can “contribute more to mutual defence and stability,” former US diplomats Elliott Abrams and Thomas R Nides wrote.