KEY POINTS
- White House said the US-Iran talks in Oman marked a “step forward” between the two countries
- Both sides termed the first round of talks as positive and constructive
- Iranian FM says Tehran and Washington are very close to agreement on the content of future negotiations
- The talks focused on Tehran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief
- Both sides agreed to resume talks next week
- Oman’s top diplomat expressed hope for a “fair and binding agreement”
MUSCAT, Oman: The first round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief concluded on Saturday in the Omani capital, with both sides agreeing to continue negotiations next week, Iranian state media reported.
Mediated by Oman, the first round of talks marked the highest-level contact between the two sides in years.
After the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran and the United States are very close to agreement on the content of future negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“During the meeting, I think we came very close to a basis for negotiations,” Araghchi told Iranian state television. “At our next meeting, if we can finalise that basis, we will have gone a large part of the way.”
“The American side also said that a positive agreement was one that can be reached as soon as possible but that will not be easy and will require a willingness on both sides,” Araghchi.
Meanwhile, the White House said that the US-Iran talks in Oman marked a “step forward” between the two countries, describing discussions including President Donald Trump’s regional envoy as “positive and constructive.”
“These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy (Steven) Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” the White House said in a statement, adding the sides agreed to “meet again next Saturday.”
The negotiations were led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the US President’s Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs.
According to Iran’s foreign ministry, the meeting was held in a “constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere”.
“The indirect talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States regarding sanctions relief and nuclear issues concluded in Oman,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The two sides agreed to continue these talks next week.”
The over two-and-a-half-hour session was held in separate rooms, with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi serving as the intermediary.
As the delegations were leaving the venue, Araghchi and Witkoff spoke briefly in the presence of the Omani foreign minister, Iranian officials reported.
Speaking to IRIB News in Muscat, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran’s goal in the negotiations was “very clear” — to protect its national interests through diplomacy.
“We are giving diplomacy a sincere and honest opportunity so that through these negotiations, we can advance not only the nuclear issue but more importantly for us, the issue of lifting sanctions,” he said.
The Omani foreign minister, who hosted the talks, described them as “friendly” and expressed hope for a “fair and binding agreement”.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi said: “I am proud to announce that today in Muscat we hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and mediated to begin a process of dialogue and negotiations with the shared aim of concluding a fair and binding agreement.”
I am proud to announce that today in Muscat we hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and mediated to begin a process of dialogue and negotiations with the shared aim of concluding a fair and binding agreement. I would…
— Badr Albusaidi – بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) April 12, 2025
The talks come amid heightened regional tensions and growing pressure on both sides to break the impasse over Iran’s nuclear activities.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei appeared later on Iranian state TV, stating, “The objective of the Islamic Republic of Iran is very clear — we have only one goal, and that is to safeguard Iran’s national interests. We are giving a genuine and honest opportunity to diplomacy, so that through dialogue, we can move forward on the nuclear issue on one hand, and more importantly for us, the lifting of sanctions.”
He added, “Look, this is just a beginning. So it is natural that, at this stage, both sides will present their foundational positions through the Omani mediator. Therefore, we do not expect this round of negotiations to be lengthy.”
In an audio clip shared by Iran’s IRNA, Iranian FM Araghchi said, “If there is sufficient will on both sides, we will decide on a timetable. But it is still too early to talk about that. What is clear now is that the negotiations are indirect, and in our view only on the nuclear issue, and will be conducted with the necessary will to reach an agreement that is on an equal footing and leads to securing the national interests of the Iranian people.”
The United States withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during Donald Trump’s presidency in 2018 and reimposed severe sanctions on Tehran.
Iran, in turn, scaled back its commitments under the accord and has since expanded its nuclear programme.
Saturday’s meeting was initiated after a letter from President Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he called for renewed talks.
Shortly before the talks, US President Donald Trump again warned Tehran of military action if a deal is not reached.
“I want them not to have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on his way to Florida on Friday night.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also reiterated a refrain favoured by the Trump administration, saying “there will be all hell to pay” if the president’s demands are not met.
“We’ve been very clear that Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon, and I think that’s what led to this meeting,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
Iran and its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have emphasised that the US cannot be trusted and that Iran would not sit down with US officials directly because Trump unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 during his first term as president.
It remains unclear whether the second round of the talks will be direct or carried out similarly to Saturday’s mediated negotiations.
ALSO READ: Giving Diplomacy a Chance in Oman Talks with US: Iran
In an earlier interview with The Wall Street Journal, Witkoff said the US demands the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear programme, though he also indicated that there could be room for compromise.
“That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries,” he said.
He added that a key red line for Washington remains Iran’s inability to weaponise its nuclear capabilities.
The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed concern over Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, close to the weapons-grade threshold of 90 percent.
