In the first round of nuclear talks, the Iranian foreign minister and the Trump envoy meet. U.S. and Iranian officials met and spoke briefly in the first round of nuclear talks on Saturday in Oman, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.
Why it matters: President Trump has repeatedly
said Iran needs to rapidly reach a deal that makes sure it can't obtain a
nuclear weapon or face the prospect of military strikes, which could lead to
war.
The encounter between Iranian foreign minister
Abbas Araghchi and White House Envoy Steve Witkoff as they exited the venue
where indirect talks were held was the first time since the U.S. and Iran
engaged directly since Trump returned to office.
U.S. and Iranian officials are using similar
language to describe their primary objective for Saturday's talks: determining
whether the other side is serious or just stringing them along.
A U.S. official told Axios Trump is prepared
to make compromises to get a deal.
Driving the news: Witkoff arrived in Oman
Friday night after holding talks in Russia with President Vladimir Putin.
On Saturday morning, the Iranian delegation,
led by Araghchi, arrived. On Friday, the White House stated that the talks
would be direct; however, this was not the case when they began. According to
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, they will be held
in separate rooms with Iranian and American representatives seated at a location
chosen by the Omani hosts. Araghchi told Iranian state television there were
four exchanges of messages through the Omani mediators during the talks on
Saturday.
At the beginning of this month, Axios reported
that the White House was seriously considering an Iranian proposal for indirect
nuclear talks. What they're saying: "Our goal is to reach a just and
respectful agreement on equal footing.
If the other side also comes from a similar approach, then this will be
an opportunity for an initial understanding, which will lead to the path to
negotiations," Araghchi said Saturday ahead of the talks.
He went on to say that the Iranian goal is to
set a timetable for nuclear deal negotiations. "Took place in a friendly
atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional
and global peace, security, and stability," the Omani foreign minister
wrote on X.. "We will continue to work together and put further efforts to
assist in arriving at this goal," he continued. The talks on Saturday lasted about two and a
half hours.
What's next: Araghchi told Iranian state
television that the next round will take place next Saturday in Oman.
"Neither we nor the other side want to
engage in a conversation that will only serve to waste time or be
fruitless." Both sides acknowledged that their desired outcome is an
agreement that can be reached in the shortest possible time," he said.
