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07:19

Good morning.

Iranian and US officials areset to meet in Omanon February 6 for a round of high-stakes diplomacy seen as a last-chance effort to avert a major military escalation in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called for "mutual respect" ahead of talks with the United States in Muscat. "Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year. We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments need to be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric -- they are a must and the pillars of a durable agreement," Araghchiwrote on X.

According to itslatest aggregated dataon February 5, the US-based rights group HRANA reports the number of confirmed deaths as 6,941, including 6,495 protesters, 171 children, 214 militarygovernment forces, and 61 civilian nonprotesters. In addition, 11,630 cases remain under review. The number of seriously injured civilians stands at 11,021, the total number of arrests at 50,921, student arrests at 109 cases, forced confessions at 307 cases, and summonses at 11,047 cases.

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22:42

5.2.2026

We are now closing the live blog for today, but we'll be back again tomorrow morning at 7:30am Central European time to follow all the latest developments in Iran.

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22:37

5.2.2026

Trump Has Options Beyond Diplomacy, Says White House

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing in Washington on February 5.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on February 5 that US President Donald Trump will be monitoring the upcoming talks between the United States and Iran in Oman to see if a deal with Tehran is possible, while warning the Islamic republic not to misread US intentions.

[W]hile these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world, she said.

Nonetheless, she also clarified that a diplomatic solution would be Trump's preferred choice.

Look...diplomacy is always his first option when it comes to dealing with countries all around the world, whether they're our allies or our adversaries,"she said. "And so special envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be traveling to Oman for those talks tomorrow, and we will see what comes of those. The president is standing by for an update from them.

She also said that Trump has been "quite clear in his demands of the Iranian regime."

"Zero nuclear capability is something he's been very explicit about, and he wants to see if a deal can be struck," she said.

Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to represent the United States at the negotiations in Muscat on February 6.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also departed for Oman on February 5.

His spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said in apost on Xthat Tehran would engage "with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable, and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue."

"We hope the American side will also participate in this process with responsibility, realism, and seriousness," he added.

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22:17

5.2.2026

In An Anthem For Protesters, Iranians Sing 'I Am Still Alive'

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  RFE/RL's Radio Farda

As Iranians mourn thousands of protesters killed in a brutal state crackdown, two artists living outside Iran have published an anthem for the protest movement. Pooyan Moghaddassi, a Vienna-based poet who wrote the words, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the title draws on a slogan used by the protesters as a way to keep hope alive in the face of tragedy.