US-Iran Talks: 1st Round ‘Constructive,’ Negotiators to Meet Again Next Week
The US and Iran held the first round of nuclear talks on Saturday in Oman, describing it as “positive” and “constructive,” according to Reuters.
Both sides agreed to resume talks next week to discuss Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, after the US President, Donald Trump, threatened military action against Tehran if no deal is reached.
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 President restored to the “maximum pressure” campaign in February, imposing crippling sanctions on Tehran.
Productive Talks
Speaking to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, said that the talks with the Trump administration took place in a “productive, calm and positive atmosphere.” He added that Tehran and Washington agreed to resume talks next Saturday. “Iran and the US side want an agreement in the short term. We do not want talks for (the sake of) talks,” he noted.
The US and Iran on Saturday held high-level talks in Oman, in the first direct contact between the two countries in decades, after Trump had made a surprise announcement of direct talks with Iran.
The US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, led the American delegation, while Aragchi led the Iranian negotiators, with “full authority” granted from Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The talks were hosted by Omani Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi.
A Step Forward
After the conclusion of the talks in Oman, the White House described the discussion as “positive” and constructive.” In a statement, it said: “The discussions were very positive and constructive, and the United States deeply thanks the Sultanate of Oman for its support of this initiative.”
The White House added that Witkoff “underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible. These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome. The sides agreed to meet again next Saturday.”
On his part, Trump said that the talks are “going OK.” Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday night, the US President said: “Nothing matters until you get it done, so I don’t like talking about it, but it’s going OK. The Iran situation is going pretty good, I think.”
Indirect Talks
Although Trump announced “direct talks” with Iran, Tehran insisted the discussions would be “indirect.” According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, the talks took place in indirect form, where each delegation sat in a separate room and exchanged messages through Oman’s Foreign Minister.
However, both delegations had a brief conversation in the presence of Badr Albusaidi as they left the talks. “After the end of more than 2-1/2 hours of indirect talks, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks. It (the encounter) was based on our political etiquette,” Aragchi told IRNA.
Iran Nuclear Program
The US-Iran talks aim to set the stage for negotiations on Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. The US, Israel and the West believe that Iran is seeking to build an atomic bomb by accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade, while Tehran denies those claims, insisting that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
In the light of this, Aragchi said: “I think we are very close to a basis for negotiations and if we can conclude this basis next week, we’ll have gone a long way and will be able to start real discussions based on that.”
Similarly, Baghaei said: “This is a beginning. So it is normal at this stage for the two sides to present to each other their fundamental positions through the Omani intermediary.”
US Military Threats
Trump has escalated threats of a military action against Iran if negotiations failed. “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. He warned earlier that “Iran is going to be in great danger” if the talks aren’t successful.
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, adding that “all options are on the table” if diplomatic efforts fail.
On the other hand, Tehran rejected the US threats, warning its neighboring countries which host US bases of “severe consequences” if they get involved in any US attack against Iran. The country also said it would give diplomacy a “genuine chance” through Oman talks, emphasizing that it seeks a “real and fair” agreement.
