Iran formally rebuffed a primary U.S. demand to end all domestic uranium enrichment on Monday, instead adopting a dual-track posture that balances cautious diplomacy with heightened military readiness.

This move follows last week's indirect talks in Oman, which failed to produce a breakthrough as regional tensions persist.

The date and venue for a second round of negotiations remain unconfirmed, though U.S. President Donald Trump's claimed that talks will continue and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said a meeting is to be expected in the coming days.

Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, is reportedly scheduled to visit the United States on Tuesday. Netanyahu is expected to demand that the U.S. push for the transfer of Iran's enriched uranium out of the country and for restrictions on Iran's ballistic missile capabilities.

Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is reportedly set to lead a delegation to the Omani capital of Muscat on Tuesday.

'Shipping enriched uranium out of Iran not on agenda'

For the first time, Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said that Iran could consider diluting its 60-percent enriched uranium, provided that all sanctions against the country are lifted.

Eslami said on Monday that the issue of transporting enriched uranium out of Iran is not on the negotiating agenda.

In response to questions at a press briefing, he clarified that such claims primarily originated from other parties that attempt to exert pressure on Iran, and even if some individuals or countries have proposed such "suggestions" they believed might be helpful, these have not been discussed in the formal negotiations.

Israel refuses to accept Iran's 'red lines'

Following the conclusion of the first round of negotiations in Oman, Araghchi disclosed two core "red lines" for Iran in its talks with the United States: the inalienable right to uranium enrichment and the non-negotiable status of its missile program.

Israel, seen as a significant variable in the current Iran-U.S. negotiations, has made clear its position of total rejection to Tehran's demands, according to China Media Group (CMG).

An official from the Israeli Ministry of Defense recently told U.S. officials that Iran's ballistic missile program poses what it termed an "existential threat" to Israel. The official warned that if Iran crosses the "red lines" set by Israel regarding the ballistic missiles, Israel would take unilateral action.

Analysts have noted that Iran has consistently maintained its missile capabilities as a core and non-negotiable pillar of its national defense strategy, due to years of enduring U.S. sanctions, persistent military threats from Israel, and combined domestic political and economic factors. 

Iran's missile capabilities serve as an effective deterrent against the U.S. and Israel, and more importantly, act as crucial leverage in its negotiations with the U.S., according to Wei Dongxu, a military observer speaking to CMG.

Expert: Iran-U.S. builds new dialogue mechanism in Oman

The Oman nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington last week were the first since the U.S. air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.

Araghchi said on Sunday that the date and location for the next round of negotiations would be determined through consultations with Oman.

Wang Jin, director of the Center for International Strategic Studies at Northwest University, said that the decision to send an Iranian delegation led by Larijani to Oman on Tuesday demonstrates Iran's sincerity and indicates its willingness to engage in continued dialogue.

Prior to June 2025, there were two public dialogue mechanisms, in Doha and Europe, between Tehran and Washington, and Oman is the third, Wang noted. "At that time, Oman was conducting indirect mediation, effectively a relatively non-public, private dialogue mechanism."

Wang said Iran and the U.S. have now opened a new, public mechanism for dialogue and communication in Oman that is very likely to see some results achieved in the future.