Talks Between Iran and the United States Will Be Held Friday in Oman, Iranian Media Say

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Talks between Iran and the United States will be held Friday in Oman, Iranian media reported Wednesday.

The semiofficial ISNA and Tasnim news agencies, as well as the Student News Network, all reported the talks would take place.

Oman did not immediately acknowledge it would host the talks. The sultanate hosted multiple rounds of earlier nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S.

The U.S. has not acknowledge the talks would take place in Oman, though the White House said it anticipated the negotiations would take place even after the U.S. shot down an Iranian drone Tuesday and Iran attempted to stop a U.S.-flagged ship.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — At least 50,834 people have been arrested in connection with the Iranian government’s crackdown on protests, activists tracking the number of people who have been killed or detained said on Wednesday.

The crackdown on the demonstrations has also killed at least 6,876 people, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in other rounds of unrest in Iran. It fears even more may be dead.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll due to the internet shutdown.