US and Iranian diplomats held talks through Omani mediators in Oman last week to revive diplomacy, after US President Donald Trump deployed a naval flotilla to the region, raising fears of new military action.

“The Muscat meeting was not a long meeting. In our view, it was to gauge the seriousness of the other side and how to continue this path,” Baghaei said.

“After the talks, we felt there was understanding and consensus to continue the diplomatic process.”

The spokesperson said that a trip to Oman on Tuesday by Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, was pre-planned to follow up on regional consultations, and that Larijani would next travel to Qatar.

Regarding the Israeli prime minister’s expected trip to Washington on Wednesday, Baghaei said the US “must act independently of foreign pressures, especially Israeli pressures that ignore the interests of the region and even the US.”