Muscat: An Iranian lawmaker has raised concerns over the participation of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief in the recent Iran-US nuclear negotiations held in Oman, asserting that it contravenes a parliamentary law which labels American forces in the Middle East as 'terrorists.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Ebrahim Rezaei, a senior member of the Iranian parliament and spokesperson for the assembly's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, expressed his disapproval through a social media post. Rezaei highlighted that the involvement of the CENTCOM commander breaches Article 1 of the law titled 'Reciprocal Action Against the United States' Designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Terrorist Organization.' This legislation was enacted by the Iranian parliament in May 2019 as a countermeasure to the US designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization.

The 2019 law reciprocally designates CENTCOM forces and other American military entities as 'terrorists.' Rezaei emphasized this point by stating, "One does not negotiate with terrorists," on the US social media platform X.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Friday that Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US forces in the Middle East, was part of the US delegation in Muscat. Although it is uncommon for Defense Department officials to engage in high-level diplomatic discussions, there have been instances where US presidents, including Donald Trump, have involved senior military leaders in negotiations.

Some sources suggested that the presence of the CENTCOM commander in Muscat might indicate that the discussions could extend beyond the nuclear issue, despite Iran's focus on this matter. Iranian state media previously reported that the latest round of nuclear talks in Muscat had concluded, with both delegations poised to return to their capitals for further consultations.

Following the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the negotiations as "a good start and can have a good continuation," while emphasizing that the outcome depends on forthcoming decisions in Tehran and the willingness of the other side to engage constructively. This recent development comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.