ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States and Iran began their high-stake talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Saturday in Oman. The two parties are sitting in separate rooms, but reports of their progress are positive.
“Indirect talks between Foreign Minister Dr. Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the US president's special representative for the Middle East, began with the mediation of Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi,” Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, wrote Saturday afternoon on X.
The talks “will be held at a location planned by the Omani host, with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States seated in separate rooms, and the parties will convey their points of view and positions to each other through the Omani foreign minister,” he added.
Tehran has insisted that the two sides are not directly engaging with each other, while Washington had said they would be direct.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the talks are positive and unlikely to continue beyond Sunday, citing a member of the nuclear negotiating team.
Tehran went into the talks looking for an “honorable agreement” in the face of threats of military action from US President Donald Trump should they fail.
“Our intention is to reach an honorable agreement from an equal position,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iran’s state broadcaster.
“If the other side also comes from the same position, God willing, there will be a chance for an initial understanding that will lead to a path of negotiations,” he added.
Trump would like a new nuclear deal with Iran after he withdrew from a previous pact in 2018. The 2015 deal with world powers saw Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions. After exiting the pact, Trump imposed biting sanctions on the Islamic republic, which in turn began rolling back on its nuclear commitments.
Upon returning to office, Trump in early February restored his “maximum pressure” policy against Tehran, arguing that it is “too close” to a nuclear weapon. He has threatened military action if they fail to reach a deal.
Iran has always maintained that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. In a rare op-ed on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that “under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”
Updated at 5:00 pm
