EconoTicker

U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC News that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “should be very worried,” adding that “they’re negotiating with us,” as Washington and Tehran prepare for a Friday meeting in Oman while still clashing over the scope of the talks—U.S. officials want to broaden the agenda beyond the nuclear file (including missiles and regional issues), while Iran has insisted negotiations stay focused on nuclear matters amid heightened regional tensions and U.S. force buildup.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington is prepared to engage with Iran, but argued that any talks “that actually lead to something meaningful” must cover more than the nuclear file—specifically Iran’s ballistic-missile range, what he called Tehran’s sponsorship of “terrorist organizations” across the region, the nuclear program, and Iran’s treatment of its own people. The comments underline the core gap going into the next round: the U.S. is signaling a broader agenda, while Iran has publicly pushed to keep negotiations strictly nuclear-focused.

U.S.–Iran nuclear talks are back on for Friday, February 6, 2026, in Oman (Muscat) after at least nine regional countries urgently pressed the Trump administration at the highest political levels not to cancel the meeting, according to two U.S. officials cited by Axios. One official said regional partners asked Washington to “keep the meeting and listen” to Iran’s position, while stressing the U.S. remains “very skeptical” about any outcome; a second official said the U.S. agreed to proceed out of respect for regional allies and to keep the diplomatic track alive. Axios also reports Iran had pushed to narrow the agenda to nuclear issues only, and Iran’s foreign minister said the talks are scheduled for around 10 a.m. Friday in Muscat.

Israeli outlet Ynet reported that the next round of U.S.–Iran talks scheduled for Friday, 6 February 2026 has been canceled after Tehran demanded negotiations be limited to the nuclear file, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said to be leaving the region and U.S. officials describing the gaps as too large to bridge; the report also said Washington signaled Israel not to take “rash steps.” At the same time, other reporting paints a more fluid picture: Reuters has described talks as at risk amid a dispute over venue (Turkey vs Oman) and scope, with Washington pushing to expand the agenda beyond nuclear issues while Iran insists missiles/defense are non-negotiable. Axios, meanwhile, reported the talks were back on after regional diplomacy and pressure from Arab leaders, underscoring that the status remains volatile and politically contested.

Iranian officials and state-linked media say Iran–U.S. nuclear talks are expected to go ahead this Friday, 6 February 2026, with Oman positioned as host/mediator after Tehran pushed to move the meeting away from Istanbul and keep the agenda narrowly focused on the nuclear file and sanctions relief. At the same time, Tehran has sought to tamp down market-moving speculation that the meeting could be derailed—one senior Iranian government official described the surrounding “news-making” as closer to psychological operations aimed at steering markets and public opinion than genuine reporting—while U.S. officials have signaled they want a broader agenda (missiles/regional activity), leaving venue and scope still politically contested in some coverage.

China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed a phone call between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Xi urged both leaders to “steer the giant ship of China–U.S. relations” through “winds and storms” and to deliver “more big things and good things” in 2026. The readout stressed that “just as the U.S. has its concerns, China also has concerns,” and included a warning that “it is always right to do a good thing, however small, and always wrong to do a bad thing, however small,” while calling for more dialogue, managed differences, and practical cooperation; Xi also underscored Taiwan as the “most important issue” and urged prudence on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

European officials told Bloomberg the U.S. has drafted additional Russia sanctions, but they see no signs Washington is moving to implement them yet, even as the war grinds on and diplomacy continues. In parallel, EU officials say a new EU package is being readied for Feb. 24, 2026 (the four-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion), with a renewed focus on tightening the net around Russia’s “shadow fleet”—though officials privately describe the approach as incremental (“a slow puncture”), not an immediate “fire-for-fire” escalation. Recent EU actions show what that looks like in practice: additional designations and service/port-access restrictions aimed at oil-shipping workarounds, plus coordinated warnings to tankers over documentation, flagging, safety and insurance compliance.

Russia’s Defence Ministry and state media say “East/Vostok” group units seized Staroukrainka in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region after “fierce fighting,” naming the 114th Regiment (127th Motor Rifle Division, 5th Army) as a key assault element. Moscow claims it secured a defensive sector of ~5 km², destroyed “up to two platoons” from Ukraine’s 225th assault unit and 108th territorial defence brigade, and knocked out ~10 pieces of equipment plus 14 “Baba Yaga” hexacopters—figures that cannot be independently verified and have not been confirmed by Ukraine. Ukrainian reporting and Reuters coverage indicate the Huliaipole–Zaporizhzhia axis has seen intensified pressure and civilian evacuations in nearby areas in recent weeks.

EU ambassadors agreed the mechanics for a €90 billion Ukraine support loan covering 2026–27, setting the rulebook for how funds will be raised and spent: the European Commission would borrow in capital markets, with proceeds split roughly two-thirds for military support and one-third for budget funding. The deal also tightens (but doesn’t fully lock) procurement rules—prioritising suppliers in the EU/Ukraine/EEA-EFTA, while allowing exceptions and opening a pathway for vetted third-country firms (including the UK) where supply, speed, or eligibility conditions are met. Final sign-off still needs the European Parliament, with the first disbursement targeted for early April.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that President Volodymyr Zelensky has no incentive to end the war because a peace deal would “mean the end” of Zelensky’s political career, adding that Zelensky is focused on “survival” and saying he was unsure what proposals Ukraine’s side would bring to the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi. Lavrov also suggested that if Kyiv arrives with security-guarantee demands similar to those NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte voiced in Ukraine’s parliament, it would again show Zelensky “doesn’t want peace”—a clear attempt to frame Ukraine’s security asks as the obstacle even as U.S.-brokered talks resume in Abu Dhabi.

Russia says the “doors” to a peaceful Ukraine settlement remain open, but claimed Kyiv has not taken the “necessary decisions,” so Moscow will keep pursuing its “special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at today’s briefing. Peskov added the Kremlin will not comment publicly on the progress/results of the Abu Dhabi talks, argued Russia’s position is “unequivocal” and understood by both Kyiv and Washington, and said Moscow is grateful for U.S. negotiators’ efforts. He also defended ongoing strikes by saying Russian forces hit facilities they deem connected to Ukraine’s military effort, including energy targets Russia links to Kyiv’s war operations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned U.S. officials that Iran’s pledges have repeatedly proven unreliable, urging caution as Washington explores renewed diplomacy with Tehran. In talks with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu also pushed Israel’s Gaza endgame: full Hamas disarmament and Gaza demilitarization before any reconstruction, while rejecting a governing role for the Palestinian Authority—part of broader U.S.–Israel coordination on Gaza arrangements and on potential responses to what Israel frames as rising Iran-linked threats.