The US and Iran are set to hold critical talks on Saturday on Tehran’s nuclear program in Oman, in a rare diplomatic exchange between the two longstanding geopolitical foes.
The talks come as the US President, Donald Trump, restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, threatening Tehran with military action if the negotiations failed.
Meanwhile, Iran rejected the US threats and said it would give the talks a “genuine chance,” insisting that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
Oman Nuclear Talks
The US and Iran will hold high-level talks in Oman, in the first direct talks between the two countries in decades. This follows a surprise announcement by Trump on Monday that both countries will engage in direct talks, while Tehran insists the negotiations will be “indirect.”
The US delegation, led by the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has arrived in Muscat, Reuters reported citing Iranian media.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, is leading Tehran’s delegations, with “full authority” granted from the Iranian Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an Iranian official told Reuters.
No Nuclear Weapons for Iran
Despite Iran’s insistence that its nuclear program is intended for entirely civilian purposes, the US and Western countries believe that Tehran is pursuing an atomic bomb by accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity.
As a result, Trump restored to the “maximum pressure” campaign in February, re-imposing sweeping sanctions on the country. During his first term in office, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear progress in exchange for sanctions relief.
The US State Department also said that “Trump has been clear: the United States cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Furthermore, the US State Secretary, Marco Rubio, on Thursday said: “We’ve been very clear what Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon, and I think that’s what led to this meeting.”
All Options on the Table
The US has made clear that all options are on the table if Iran does not abandon its nuclear program. Ahead of Saturday talks, the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters on Friday that there will be “all hell to pay” if Tehran does not halt its nuclear program.
Leavitt added that Trump’s “ultimate objective is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon” and while Trump believes in diplomacy, “all options are on the table” if diplomatic efforts fail.
The US President has repeatedly threatened Iran with military action in case of negotiations’ failure. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They’ll be the leader of that,” Trump said on Wednesday, according to CNN.
“Iran is going to be in great danger,” he warned on Monday as he made the talks’ announcement. “If the talks aren’t successful, I think it’s going to be a very bad day for Iran,” he added, referring to the possibility of a military action.
This followed a more explicit threat in late March. “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” Trump told NBC News.
Since his return to power, Trump has also been sending more military assets to the Middle East amid escalating tensions.
Rejecting US Threats
After Trump’s threats, Iran said it will give diplomacy a “genuine chance” through the Oman talks, according to Reuters. On Friday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the US should appreciate Tehran’s decision to engage in talks, despite what it called Washington’s “prevailing confrontational hoopla.”
In the light of this, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, wrote on X: “We intend to assess the other side’s intent and resolve this Saturday. In earnest and with candid vigilance, we are giving diplomacy a genuine chance.”
Iran has ruled out negotiating its defense capabilities, including its missile program. Moreover, it has rejected the US threats and intimidation. Tehran also warned its neighboring countries of “severe consequences” if they get involved in any US attack against Iran.
The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Majid Takht-e Ravanch, said: “Without threats and intimidation from the American side, there is a good possibility of reaching an accord. We reject any bullying and coercion,” according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.
Similarly, the advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Shamkhani, posted on X: “If Washington comes to the talks with sincere intentions and genuine will to reach an agreement, the path to a deal will be clear and smooth,” adding that Tehran pursues a “real and fair” agreement.
