American and Iranian officials revealed to the New York Times secret indirect talks that took place between Washington and Tehran in the Omani capital, Muscat, last January.
During the discussions, the United States requested that Iran’s influence be used to stop attacks by the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) and end attacks on American bases in the region, while Iran stipulated a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip before using its influence to curb Houthi attacks.
According to what was reported by the New York Times, the secret American-Iranian talks discussed the Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea, and the attack on American bases by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, as Washington wanted Iran to restrain its agents to stop Houthi attacks and stop targeting American bases.
The American newspaper indicated that Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Nuclear Negotiator Ali Bagheri headed the Iranian delegation, while the American delegation was headed by Middle East Affairs Coordinator Brett McGurk.
Tehran - according to what the New York Times quoted officials as saying - asked the administration of US President Joe Biden to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and confirmed that it would use its influence to stop Houthi attacks after the ceasefire in Gaza and not before it.
According to the newspaper, Washington participated in the talks to show its openness to continuing diplomacy with Iran.
The British newspaper "Financial Times" revealed two days ago that the United States held secret talks with Iran this year in an attempt to persuade Tehran to use its influence over the Houthis in Yemen to end attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
The newspaper confirmed that negotiations took place between Washington and Tehran indirectly last January in the Sultanate of Oman, and were the first between the two sides in 10 months.
The American delegation was headed by White House Middle East Advisor Brett McGurk and his envoy to Iran, Abram Paley.
While the Iranian delegation was headed by Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Nuclear Negotiator.
The newspaper quoted American and Iranian officials as saying that Washington had also raised its concerns about expanding Iran's nuclear program.
According to the newspaper, a second round of negotiations between McGurk and Kanye was scheduled for February, but was postponed when it became linked to American efforts to broker an agreement between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of Israeli detainees in the Strip. .
American officials acknowledge that military action alone will not be enough to deter the Houthis, and they believe that Tehran will eventually need to pressure the group to limit its activities.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against ships in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, and the group says that its movements target Israeli ships or those heading to Israel, and stressed that its movement comes in solidarity with the Palestinians who have been subjected to continuous Israeli aggression since October 7. First past.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to reroute to take longer, more expensive trips around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope route.
In response to these attacks, the United States and Britain carried out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, which prompted the Houthis to expand their list of targets to include all American and British ships in the region.
Source: Al Jazeera + American press + New York Times