KEY POINTS
- Iran says the next round of talks with the US will also remain indirect
- White House says the next round of talks will take place on Saturday
- Iran’s foreign ministry said the talks will focus solely on nuclear issue and sanctions relief
- Iranian Foreign Minister and US envoy held indirect talks in Muscat on Saturday
- Both sides described the first round of talks as “constructive”
- The White House welcomed the meeting as a step towards diplomatic resolution
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that the next round of talks with the United States scheduled for next weekend will remain “indirect” through Omani mediation and will focus solely on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions.
Speaking to state television, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the talks would remain indirect, with Oman continuing its role as mediator.
“Negotiations will continue to be indirect. Oman will remain the mediator, but we are discussing the location of future negotiations,” Baqaei said.
On Saturday, a rare high-level meeting was held between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff in Muscat.
US-Iran describe talks as ‘constructive’
Both countries described the meeting as “constructive” and confirmed a second round of discussions will take place next week – with the US hailing the “direct communication” as being key to striking a possible deal.
The talks, described as the most significant since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement, marked a cautious return to diplomacy after years of tension.
Both sides described the first round of talks as “constructive”.
Araghchi, speaking to Iranian state media, said the meeting was held in a “peaceful and respectful environment” and added, “No inappropriate language was used, and in my opinion, as a first meeting, it was constructive.”
The White House said in a statement that Witkoff had conveyed Washington’s willingness to resolve differences through dialogue and diplomacy.
“These issues are very complicated, and special envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” the statement read.
Trump’s warning of military action
While Iranian officials confirmed that Araghchi and Witkoff briefly spoke face-to-face for a few minutes after the mediated session, Tehran was adamant that the talks will remain indirect and confined to the nuclear issue.
“We will not have any talks with the American side on any other issue,” Baqaei reiterated.
This position appears to be in response to US suggestions that broader issues—such as Iran’s ballistic missile programme should also be on the table.
Tehran has firmly rejected any such expansion of the agenda.
The latest diplomatic engagement comes in the wake of a letter from US President Donald Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging renewed nuclear talks while warning of possible military action if Iran refused.
Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, commented on the talks, saying, “I think they’re going OK. Nothing matters until you get it done.”
President Donald Trump pulled the US out of a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers in 2018, and has long said he would make a “better” deal.
Iran warns against fruitless talks
Since the US withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the reimposition of sweeping sanctions—Iran has maintained that its nuclear activities are strictly peaceful and that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons.
Ahead of the talks, Araghchi had stressed Iran’s desire for a “fair agreement”, while cautioning against prolonged or fruitless negotiations.
“Neither we, nor the other party, want discussions for discussions’ sake or talks that drag on forever,” he said.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who facilitated the meeting, said the discussions were held in a “friendly atmosphere”.
The talks appear to have had a stabilising effect on Iran’s markets, with local currency tracking websites reporting a notable strengthening of the Iranian rial, rising to around 850,000 to the US dollar from over one million in recent days.
The next round of talks is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 19 April, according to the White House.
