US and Iran agree to more talks as Trump admin rolls out additional oil sanctions

From CNN's Kylie Atwood
Fri February 6, 2026

The US and Iran have agreed to hold follow-on discussions after consultations with their capitals following today’s indirect talks in Oman, an outcome cautiously viewed as a positive result by both sides, according to source familiar.

The US delegation differed from the previous rounds of US-Iran talks, which took place before the US strike on Iranian nuclear sites last year. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff led for the US previously, along with a small team that joined him over time, but Trump’s son in law Jared Kushner was in the room this round, and US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper was part of the delegation.

Kushner had long been expected to join the discussions but Cooper’s inclusion in the delegation was not expected far in advance, the source said. His presence marks the first time a senior US military official joined indirect talks with Iran during Trump’s second term.

Some context: The Iranians grew frustrated with Witkoff over the course of last year’s talks and some people involved believe that having new US players could lead to more productive discussions, the source said. Still, the talks’ trajectory is yet to be determined, the source warned.

The location for the next round of talks is not yet set in stone but is likely to be Oman, the source said.

In terms of timing, that also remains unclear right now, the source said. Some people involved in the talks believe that slowing down the pace could allow for more robust negotiations to take place, they said.

The White House did not respond when asked for comment.

After the talks ended, in a sign that the US wants to keep up economic pressure, it rolled out new sanctions on Iranian oil and 14 vessels carrying it.