High-level talks between Iran and the United States are scheduled to take place in the Sultanate of Oman on Saturday, with the aim of launching new negotiations over Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action if an agreement is not reached.
اضافة اعلان
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Muscat.
Iran is approaching the talks with caution and remains skeptical about the possibility of reaching a deal. It is also distrustful of President Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if it does not halt its nuclear activities.
While both sides have acknowledged the possibility of making some progress, they remain far apart on key issues in a conflict that has lasted more than two decades. They also have yet to agree on whether the talks will be direct, as Trump demands, or indirect, as Iran prefers.
Any signs of progress could help ease tensions in the Middle East.
However, failure could heighten fears of a broader war in a region that supplies most of the world's oil.
An Iranian official stated that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on key state matters within Iran's complex political structure, has granted Abbas Araghchi “full authority” in the negotiations.
Araghchi is leading the Iranian delegation, while Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, will head the talks on the U.S. side.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said, “The duration of the talks, which will be limited to the nuclear issue, will depend on the seriousness and good faith of the U.S. side.”
Iran has ruled out any negotiations on its defensive capabilities, including its missile program.
A Decades-Long Conflict
Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes. However, Western nations believe it is seeking to build a nuclear bomb.
They argue that Iran’s uranium enrichment has far exceeded civilian needs and has resulted in stockpiles enriched to levels close to those required for nuclear weapons.
Trump, who reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran in February, withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reinstated severe sanctions on Iran.
Since then, Iran's nuclear program has advanced significantly, including enriching uranium to 60% purity—a technical step away from weapons-grade material.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he hopes the talks will lead to peace, adding: “We’ve been very clear that Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, and I believe that’s what led to this meeting.”
Tehran responded the following day, saying it is giving the U.S. “a genuine opportunity” despite what it described as “the prevailing hype about confrontation” in Washington.
Israel, a close U.S. ally, considers Iran’s nuclear program an existential threat and has long threatened to strike Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its nuclear ambitions.
— (Reuters)
