Syed Zafar Mahdi
12 April 2025•Update: 12 April 2025
TEHRAN, Iran
Indirect talks between Iran and the US, mediated by the Omani foreign minister, have commenced in Muscat, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman.
In a statement posted on X, Esmaeil Baghaei said the “indirect talks” were underway between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Omani capital.
The talks are being mediated by Badr Albusaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, he added.
Baghaei noted that the representatives of the Iranian and American sides are seated in separate rooms, with the two parties conveying their views and positions to each other through the Omani foreign minister.
Araghchi, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, arrived in Muscat early Saturday to participate in the indirect talks with the American side led by Witkoff.
The discussions are centered on Iran’s nuclear program and come amid heightened tensions between the two countries, particularly following the reelection of Donald Trump as the US president.
In a letter last month, Trump asked Iran to engage in talks with the US over its nuclear program. Iran declined direct talks but agreed to indirect discussions with Oman’s mediation.
Trump subsequently threatened Iran with bombing and secondary tariffs if it failed to reach an agreement with the US over its nuclear program, prompting sharp reactions from Tehran.
The new US administration has reportedly urged Iran to negotiate a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord, which was sidelined after the US withdrew from it in May 2018 during Trump’s first presidential term.
During the Biden administration, many rounds of indirect talks were held in Vienna, mediated by the European Union, but they failed to produce a breakthrough.
The issue of negotiations with the US has remained polarizing inside Iran, with one faction supporting it and another arguing that Trump cannot be trusted.
In his meeting with his Omani counterpart earlier on Saturday, Araghchi emphasized that the Iranian negotiating team is seeking to reach an honorable agreement based on equal footing.
“If the other side holds the same position, God willing, there will be a chance for an initial understanding that will lead to a path of negotiations,” he was quoted as saying.
