Iran confirmed on Friday that it would hold high-level indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States in Oman, marking a “genuine opportunity” for diplomacy despite threats from President Donald Trump. The news comes after Trump’s blunt warning earlier this week that not getting a deal would result in bombing “the likes of which they have never seen before.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will head the delegation in the talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff attending under Omani mediation. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi will act as mediator in the talks, which are the most important diplomatic engagement since the return of Trump to the White House in January.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry reprimanded the US for what it termed “confrontational hoopla” but described it as coming to the talks with “candid vigilance.” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi said that negotiations can go ahead, if only the US avoids threats and coercion.
Meanwhile, regional tensions continue to run high. The US recently bombed Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Israel’s military campaign against Hamas remains ongoing, with a tenuous ceasefire with Hezbollah just holding on. These moves put added pressure on the talks.
Iran has prepared “significant and pragmatic” proposals with a view to achieving a “reasonable” agreement, said Ali Shamkhani, the senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He stressed that the road to an agreement would be easy if Washington approaches talks in good faith.
While Trump claimed the negotiations would be direct, Iran maintains they will be indirect. Araqchi has reportedly “full authority” to negotiate via Omani channels. The earlier indirect talks during Joe Biden’s presidency had made little headway. The last direct negotiations were held under Barack Obama’s administration, resulting in the defunct 2015 nuclear agreement.
