Mixed Signals On Iran / US Talks… Russians are Furious Following New Terrorist Attack in Moscow

Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi and Oman’s Foreign Minister Hamad Al Busaidi

The US-Iran talks held in Oman on Friday, February 6, 2026 (not February 7, as some early scheduling references suggested) were indirect negotiations mediated by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi in Muscat. These were the first high-level discussions since the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, amid heightened tensions sparked by US carrier deployments in the Arabian Sea, new anti-Iran tariffs by the US and Donald Trump’s threats to attack Iran.

US and Iranian delegations met separately with the Omani mediator, who facilitated exchanges. No direct face-to-face meetings occurred, although here was a brief direct contact between Araqchi and the American delegation in the ‘reception room’, where the two sides exchanged greetings and shook hands. Araqchi initially refused to allow the US CENTCOM commander to attend negotiations but, following a request from the Oman mediator, Aragchi agreed to let him attend but refused to shake his hand.

The discussions were exclusively nuclear, per Iran’s insistence (centered on Tehran’s nuclear program, uranium enrichment, and potential sanctions relief). Iran rejected US demands to broaden the agenda to include ballistic missiles, support for proxies (e.g., Houthis, Hezbollah), human rights, or regional activities.

Both the Iranians and the US struck a positive tone after the conclusion of the first meeting. Iran’s Araghchi called it a “good beginning” with an “understanding on continuing the talks.” He said coordination on next steps would be decided in capitals, signaling this round ended “for now” but progress on a framework is possible. President Trump also described the talks as “very good” and “positive,” saying more work is needed and delegations would meet again early next week (potentially virtual or in another location).

During a press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump said the following:

Reporter: With Iran, is there a deal that only covers nuclear that would be acceptable to you?

Trump: That would be acceptable. But the one thing, and right up front, no nuclear weapons. If we could have made that deal two years ago, we would have made that deal. But they weren’t willing to do that.

Now they are willing to do it. They’re willing to do much more than they would have a year and a half ago.

Within hours of the meeting in Oman, President Trump signed an executive order that would allow the United States to impose 25% tariffs on any country doing business with Iran—after a violation is recorded and confirmed.

Trump appears to be following the strategy he outlined in his book, The Art of the Deal: Trump portrays negotiation as personal, combative, and theatrical: start with extreme demands (anchoring high), use leverage and bravado to dominate, wear down resistance, and walk away if needed. He views it as a morality play of winning/losing, with loyalty to allies but zero mercy for opponents. The Art of the Deal centers on aiming very high, relentlessly pushing, and using power and publicity to create leverage, treating deals as largely winner‑take‑all contests, which pretty well summarizes the current state of negotiations. I hope that is what we are seeing unfold.

Meanwhile, back in Moscow, the Russian government reacted with contained fury as it blamed Ukraine for the attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev (deputy head of the GRU military intelligence agency), who was shot multiple times in an apartment building in northwestern Moscow on February 6, 2026. Alekseyev was hospitalized (condition reported as critical or serious in some accounts), and a criminal investigation was launched by the Investigative Committee for attempted murder and illegal firearms trafficking.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in televised comments and at a press conference, described the shooting as a “terrorist act” orchestrated by Ukraine’s leadership… He specifically accused President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He claimed it was a deliberate provocation to “disrupt the negotiation process” on ending the Ukraine war, sabotage peace talks, and influence Western backers amid ongoing diplomacy (e.g., recent Abu Dhabi rounds and broader US-Russia/Iran-related discussions). Lavrov said such acts confirm Kyiv’s unreadiness for substantive talks.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the incident. He stated: “

It is clear that such military leaders and high-level specialists are at risk during wartime.

Peskov added that ensuring their safety is a matter for the special services (not the Kremlin directly), wished the general survival and recovery, and noted the special services are “doing their job.”

I won’t be surprised if Russia decides that Zelensky — whose persistent opposition to a diplomatic settlement shows no signs of weakening — must be eliminated.