France, April 12 -- The United States and Iran are on Saturday holding talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, for the first time since President Donald Trump cancelled a 2015 deal. Hosted by Oman, the meeting is aimed at reaching a new agreement on Iran's nuclear facilities.

In the lead-up to the talks, both sides have engaged in a war of words that sawTrumplast month send a letter to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei threatening military action if negotiations fail.

Responding to Trump's threat, Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Khamenei, said Iran could expel United Nations nuclear inspectors, prompting a US warning that such action would be an "escalation".

On Wednesday, Trump said military action against Iran was "absolutely" possible if...