Iran and the U.S. began negotiations in Oman on Saturday over Tehran’s advancing nuclear program, and the talks will likely depend on the Islamic Republic’s enrichment of uranium.
According to Iranian state media, the talks began on Saturday in Oman’s capital of Muscat. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff offered no immediate details on the talks.
Araghchi arrived on Friday in Oman and met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who had mediated the two earlier rounds of talks in Muscat and Rome. Araghchi was seen heading to the talks late Saturday morning.
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Witkoff arrived on Saturday for the talks that were expected to begin in the coming hours.
The negotiations seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the U.S. lifting some economic sanctions it has imposed on the Islamic Republic.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal is not reached. Iranian officials warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Iran’s nuclear deal in 2015 with foreign nations limited Tehran’s program before Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018, leading to years of conflict and tensions.
Trump reiterated that he hoped negotiations would lead to a new nuclear deal, although he still suggested the possibility of a military strike if a deal was not reached.
“The Iran situation is coming out very well,” Trump said on Air Force One as he traveled to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral. “We’ve had a lot of talks with them and I think we’re going to have a deal. I’d much rather have a deal than the other alternative. That would be good for humanity.”
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“There are some people that want to make a different kind of a deal — a much nastier deal — and I don’t want that to happen to Iran if we can avoid it,” he added.