A top Iranian security official was spotted in Oman just days after Tehran and the U.S. held indirect nuclear talks in the Mideast sultanate.

Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, was likely in the country to discuss what comes next after the initial round of talks, The Associated Press reported. The outlet noted that Larijani’s team shared photos of him with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the U.S.-Iran talks.

Iranian media reportedly said Larijani would deliver an important message, but later state television said al-Busaidi «handed over a letter» to the Iranian official without elaborating on the letter’s origins, according to the AP.

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While in Oman, Larijani also met with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for nearly three hours, according to the AP, which cited the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency. Additionally, the outlet said that Larijani was set to travel to Qatar, which houses the U.S. military installation that bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in 2025.

Larijani accused Israel of playing a «destructive role» in the talks just before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected visit to Washington, D.C.

«Netanyahu is now on his way to the United States. Americans must think wisely and not allow him, through posturing, to imply before his flight that ‘I want to go and teach Americans the framework of the nuclear negotiations.’ They must remain alert to the destructive role of the Zionists,» Larijani wrote on X.

Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day war in the summer of 2025 which culminated in the U.S. bombing Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Iran, which has been grappling with mass anti-government protests, has blamed Israel and the U.S. for various grievances.

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ahead of U.S.-Iran talks in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Officials from both the U.S. and Iran have said that the first round of talks went well and suggested that they would continue.

«The Muscat meeting, which was not a long one, it was a half-day meeting. For us, it was a way to measure the seriousness of the other side, and to find out how we could continue the process. Therefore, we mostly addressed the generalities,» Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said at a news conference Tuesday in Tehran, according to the AP.

«Our principles are clear. Our demand is to secure the interests of the Iranian nation based on international norms and the Non-Proliferation Treaty and peaceful use of nuclear energy,» Baghaei said, according to the AP. «So as for the details, we should wait for the next steps and see how this diplomatic process will continue.»

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, special envoy Steve Witkoff and negotiator Jared Kushner meet ahead of the U.S.-Iran talks, in Muscat on Feb. 6, 2026. (Oman Foreign Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman were «a good start» and that there was a «consensus» that the negotiations would continue.

«After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,» Araghchi said.

«It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,» he added.

President Donald Trump also expressed optimism about the indirect talks, telling reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that «Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We’ll have to see what that deal is.»

When he was pressed on how long the U.S. would be willing to wait to make a deal with Iran, the president indicated some flexibility, saying he believes the two nations can reach an agreement.

«It can be reached. Well, we have to get in position. We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while, and we’re in no rush. We have very good [talks] with Iran,» Trump said.

President Donald Trump said indirect nuclear talks with Iran were «very good» and that Tehran «wants to make a deal very badly.» (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

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«They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep. So, we’ll see what happens. But they had a very good meeting with a very high representative of Iran,» the president added.

American and Iranian representatives held separate meetings with Omani officials on Friday amid flaring tensions between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the meetings were «focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.»

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Perros y gatos pueden transportar ADN humano entre personas, objetos y ambientes, incluso a lugares donde quienes viven con ellos no estuvieron.

Científicos de Australia descubrieron que en escenas de crímenes, el material genético hallado en el pelaje o en superficies asociadas a los animales no siempre corresponde a quienes forman parte del hogar.

Ese material que se toma como parte de las investigaciones forenses puede incluir rastros de visitantes, personas que han transportado al animal o usuarios de los vehículos involucrados.

Este hallazgo, que fue publicado en la revista Forensic Science International, puede cambiar la manera en que la ciencia forense interpreta la evidencia en delitos donde hay perros o gatos.

El equipo comprobó que “los perros pueden servir como vectores efectivos para la transferencia de ADN humano”, incluso con contactos breves.

En el estudio participaron Heidi Monkman y Mariya Goray, de la Facultad de Ciencia e Ingeniería de la Universidad Flinders.

También colaboraron Roland van Oorschot, de la Oficina del Jefe Científico Forense en el Departamento de Servicios Forenses de la Policía de Victoria y de la Facultad de Agricultura, Biomedicina y Medio Ambiente de la Universidad La Trobe, y Volgin Luke, de Ciencia Forense de Australia Meridional.

La investigación buscó saber si los animales domésticos, presentes en muchas escenas de crímenes, pueden influir en el análisis de ADN.

Aunque ya se sabía que el material genético puede transferirse entre personas y objetos, el rol de perros y gatos como intermediarios había sido poco explorado.

El equipo observó que, a diferencia de objetos o prendas, los animales pueden almacenar y transferir ADN humano de quienes viven en el hogar, de personas visitantes y de quienes los manipulan para un traslado.

Esto es clave en delitos como el robo de animales de compañía, donde el ADN puede ayudar a reconstruir los hechos.

El objetivo fue determinar si un animal puede recibir, retener y trasladar ADN humano a personas y lugares diferentes. Para comprobarlo, diseñaron un experimento controlado.

Un cuidador, sin contacto previo con los animales ni con quienes viven en los hogares, trasladó a cinco perros de distintas razas entre viviendas y autos desconocidos para todos. Así, cualquier ADN hallado debía provenir de esa interacción puntual.

El análisis se centró en el cuerpo del perro, la ropa del cuidador y el interior de los autos. Los perros, la camisa del cuidador y el asiento trasero del auto fueron las superficies clave que se analizaron, detallaron.

Se seleccionaron cinco perros y un cuidador experimentado, sin vínculo previo con los animales ni con las familias. El cuidador tampoco había usado antes los autos, salvo uno propio.

Luego del traslado, los investigadores tomaron muestras de ADN en la cabeza, lomo y costados de cada perro, una hora después del contacto.

También recolectaron rastros en el asiento trasero de cada auto y en distintas partes de la camisa del cuidador.

El ADN de al menos una persona que vivía en el hogar se detectó en el 85 % de las muestras tomadas de los perros.

En los autos, la presencia de ese ADN alcanzó el 35 %, y en la ropa del cuidador, el 10 %. El ADN del cuidador apareció en el 85 % de sus propias camisas, en el 40 % de los perros y en el 13 % de los autos.

Se halló ADN de los propietarios de los autos en los perros, en la ropa del cuidador y en el interior del vehículo, aunque nunca hubo contacto directo entre ellos.

Así, la investigación demostró que los contactos breves pueden permitir la transferencia y posterior recuperación de ADN, incluso a través de intermediarios.

En el 75 % de las muestras hubo al menos un contribuyente desconocido, lo que muestra lo complejo que resulta rastrear el origen del ADN en la vida cotidiana.

El equipo recurrió a herramientas estadísticas para discriminar perfiles principales y minoritarios, y remarcó que la mayoría de estas transferencias indirectas se presentaron como componentes menores o minoritarios en la mezcla.

La cantidad de ADN recuperado varió según la zona del contacto y el tiempo. La cabeza y el lomo de los perros mostraron mayores cantidades.

El equipo reconoció que el tamaño de muestra fue reducido, lo que limita la posibilidad de generalizar estos resultados.

Consideran que su trabajo es solo un primer paso y sugieren ampliar el estudio con más animales, diferentes escenarios y otros tipos de contacto.

La conclusión central es que “los perros pueden actuar como vectores de transferencia de ADN cuando son trasladados entre dos lugares”, incluso si ese desplazamiento dura poco tiempo.

Recomiendan que, en casos con animales domésticos, se tomen muestras en la ropa, en los propios animales y en los vehículos involucrados.

La investigación subraya que la facilidad con la que el ADN viaja en contactos breves y su persistencia en distintas superficies obliga a repensar las estrategias de la ciencia forense en delitos con animales.

El estudio deja claro que perros y gatos no son solo testigos mudos en las escenas del crimen: pueden convertirse en piezas clave para resolver un caso o, al mismo tiempo, en el mayor enigma para quienes buscan la verdad.

En diálogo con Infobae, el doctor en ciencias naturales Guillermo Giovambattista, investigador en genética no humana del Instituto de Genética Veterinaria Ingeniero Fernando Dulout, dependiente del Conicet y de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, en Argentina, explicó tras leer el estudio: “Cuando una persona toca un objeto, deja su ADN a través de la piel. Por eso, se han podido identificar perfiles genéticos al recuperar el ADN de superficies. Por lo cual, es lógico que si una persona acaricia a un perro o un gato, se podría recuperar su ADN con la técnica apropiada”.

Además, el experto recordó que “hubo casos judiciales en los que el ADN de un animal doméstico permitió vincular al sospechoso con el lugar del hecho”.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off a question about Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein during a press briefing Tuesday before redirecting her response and mentioning the administration’s recent wins before ending a news conference. 

«Secretary Lutnick remains a very important member of President Trump’s team, and the president fully supports the secretary,» Leavitt said Tuesday when asked if President Donald Trump and the White House still support the Commerce chief after his testimony before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday. 

Leavitt was repeatedly questioned about Epstein during the news conference, including regarding Lutnick telling lawmakers Tuesday he visited Epstein’s notorious island while on a family vacation in 2012 but that he otherwise had no relationship with the convicted sex offender. 

«My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies,» he said Tuesday. «I had another couple with. They were there as well with their children, and we had lunch on the island — that is true — for an hour.

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«I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person, OK?»

Lutnick previously said he cut off contact with Epstein in 2005, but recent document releases from the Department of Justice’s investigations into Epstein show the pair communicated years later. Democrats and other critics have increasingly called for Lutnick’s ouster amid the document release, sparking questions whether the administration continues to support the Commerce chief. 

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Leavitt said the administration continues to back Lutnick before launching into a series of wins notched under Trump’s watch that the media did not ask about during the press conference, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossing 50,000 points for the first time ever earlier in February. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the Trump administration continues to back Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick when asked about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.  (Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo/Reuters)

«I will just point out that there are a lot of wins in the news this week that people in this room have not asked about because you continue to ask questions about the same subject,» Leavitt said. 

«So, let me point them out for you again. On Friday, the Dow shattered 50,000 for the first time ever. This week, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons came out in opposition to gender mutilation surgeries for children. They are the first major medical group to do so.

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The Department of Justice released a trove of Epstein documents Dec. 19, 2026, after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025.  (Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

«A federal appeals court today — nobody asked about that — just upheld the Trump administration’s policy of detaining illegal aliens, validating the strong measures that have driven illegal crossings to historic lows and sent a crystal clear message that, under President Trump, if you enter the country illegally, you will be detained and removed» she continued. 

«Again, not a single question about this as the murder rate has plunged to a 125-year low as crime falls across the board thanks to President Trump’s crime crackdown.» 

Leavitt added that national median rent prices fell to four-year lows and that mortgage affordability surged to a four-year high as the administration hammers home affordability to ease housing and cost woes. 

«There’s a reason why Americans’ trust in mainstream media outlets is at an all-time low. They’re Fake News,» White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital later Tuesday when asked about the exchange. «The Trump Administration will never hesitate to share the truth with the American people.»

Leavitt wrapped up the news conference after mentioning the administration’s wins, noting Trump’s busy schedule. 

The briefing started roughly 40 minutes late, and Leavitt attributed the delay to a meeting with Trump to review updates on the Nancy Guthrie missing person case. The briefing lasted a total of just over 20 minutes. 

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«We’re going to get back to business. The president is very busy today, and you will see him all tomorrow at the event in the East Room touting his administration’s energy policy,» she said.