Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Monday that Tehran's indirect negotiations with the United States, mediated by Oman, have been halted "due to the special circumstances in the region," as he visited Muscat in a regional tour amid rising Israel-Iran tensions.

Araghchi noted that Tehran will not find any ground for those talks "until we leave behind the current crisis, after which Tehran will decide if and how to re-enter [negotiations] for a new task," he told Iran's state television.  

The remarks came as Iran was in a state of suspense and high alert while expecting an Israeli attack. The Israeli government has pledged to retaliate for an Oct. 1 Iranian missile salvo, which was Tehran's response to the killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian commander Brig. Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut on Sept. 27, as well as being belated "revenge" for Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who died while visiting Tehran late July.  

Thanks to its close ties with the two archenemies, Oman has traditionally played a role as a key mediator between Iran and the United States. Most notably, Muscat was the original broker of talks in 2013 between Tehran and Washington, which ultimately culminated in the Iran nuclear deal two years later. Oman has also had a pivotal role in US-Iran prisoner swaps and has long served as a back channel for other pressing issues between the two countries.