Talks with US set to continue after ‘good beginning’, Iran’s foreign minister says
Senior US and Iranian Officials to Continue Discussions
The Iranian foreign minister has stated that senior US and Iranian officials will continue discussions following talks in Oman, amid a crisis that has raised fears of a conflict between the countries. Abbas Araghchi described the mediated discussions as a “good beginning” and emphasized that they were “exclusively nuclear.” He noted that negotiators would now return to their capitals for consultations.
Ahead of the talks, US officials indicated their desire to discuss Iran’s ballistic missiles and its support for regional armed groups, highlighting the gaps between the countries’ positions. There has been no immediate US reaction to the Iranian comments.
“The talks came against the backdrop of a US military buildup in the Middle East in response to Iran’s violent repression of nationwide anti-government protests last month, which human rights groups say killed many thousands of people,”
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it does not reach a deal. The US has deployed thousands of troops and what Trump has described as an “armada” to the region, including an aircraft carrier and other warships along with fighter jets. Iran, meanwhile, has vowed to respond to an attack with force, threatening to strike American military assets in the Middle East and Israel.
“Speaking to Iranian state television, Araghchi said there was an ‘atmosphere of mistrust’ between the two sides that ‘must be overcome,’ and details about the possible next round of talks would be decided later.”
Friday’s discussions were mediated by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who said in a post on social media that they had been “useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress.”
Araghchi led the Iranian delegation, while the US was represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
These were the first talks involving US and Iranian officials since before the war between Israel and Iran last June, when the US bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities.
Despite the prospect of further meetings, it remains unclear whether a deal is possible as major differences persist. For Iran’s embattled leaders, this could mean a chance to avert US military action that might further destabilise the regime, which analysts say is in its weakest position since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“Trump’s threats came as Iran’s security forces brutally repressed large-scale demonstrations, which were triggered by a deepening economic crisis, and saw protesters calling for the end of the Islamic Republic.”
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a Washington-based group, said it had confirmed at least 6,941 deaths, warning the number could be much higher, and that more than 50,000 people had been arrested.
The current stand-off has brought the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme back to discussions, having been at the centre of a long-running dispute with the West. For decades, Iran has asserted its programme is for peaceful purposes, while the West has remained skeptical.