Iran Says Talks With US to Continue After ‘Good Start’ in Oman

Iran: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on Friday that Oman-brokered nuclear talks with the US have made a "good" start and will continue. This has raised some hope that if no deal is made, then the risk of war in the Middle East may increase further, but for now the path to talks is open.

What happened in the conversation and who was involved?

These indirect talks took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman. On the Iranian side was Abbas Aragchi, on the US side were Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi mediated. Aragchi later said, "This was a good start to the talks. Both sides have agreed to move forward. Now we will sit in the Capitol and decide how to move forward."

On what terms did Iran talk?

Aragchi said very clearly that any dialogue is possible only when threats and pressure stop. Iran will talk only on its nuclear program and not on any other issue. "We do not discuss anything other than nuclear with America," he said.

What did America want and how did Iran respond?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously said that talks should not be limited to nuclear – Iran's ballistic missile program, support for armed groups in the region and treatment of its people should also be on the table. But a regional diplomat (who declined to be named) said Iran kept its line clear – uranium enrichment was its right and there was no discussion on missiles.

How much flexibility did Iran show?

Iran clearly denies that there will be no enrichment on its soil, but is ready to talk about options like enrichment level, purity or regional consortium. Iran's demands in return are immediate and effective lifting of sanctions (especially in the banking and oil sectors), and removal of US military assets from Iran.

Why did Trump increase the pressure?

The same day, Trump signed an executive order that would impose a 25% tariff on US imports from any country that purchases goods "directly or indirectly" from Iran. The White House said that this step is to stop Iran's income from energy, metals and petrochemicals.

What did Oman say and what's next?

Oman's foreign minister reported that the talks were "very serious". Both sides will now look at it carefully and meet again at the right time. There is still a lot of tension. In June the US attacked Iran's nuclear sites, and there has been a recent crackdown on protests in Iran. Trump has said that if a deal is not made, "bad things" will happen. The world fears that if the talks fail, another war may break out between America and Iran, which will affect the entire region. For now, the path to diplomacy is open, but what happens next depends on Tehran and Washington.