After weeks of escalation and counter escalation, and despite the American military build up, the peaceful option appeared, at least temporarily, to prevail. An Iranian American round of talks was held in the Omani capital, Muscat.
What began with clear caution evolved, within hours, into a sense of guarded satisfaction on the Iranian side. These negotiations, which appeared to have emerged after a difficult and prolonged process, are expected to continue in the coming days.
The talks, which began at ten o’clock on Friday morning, were conducted indirectly. The Omani mediator, Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, met separately with each delegation. This arrangement held until it later emerged that a brief direct meeting had taken place between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Tracking the Iranian position from Friday morning, Araghchi began by presenting what Iran’s official news agency described as an initial plan for managing the current situation with Washington and pushing the negotiations forward.
An Unfading Memory
Araghchi called for commitments to be honoured, stressing that equality, mutual respect, and shared interests are essential pillars for any lasting agreement.
He appeared keen to convey a deliberate message, stating that Iran was entering the talks with open eyes and an active memory of last year’s events.
Following a similar dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, alongside other issues, Iran was subjected in June of last year to Israeli air strikes backed by the United States, targeting nuclear and military facilities. In the final three days of that campaign, the United States joined the strikes directly, hitting those facilities with heavy munitions.
In recent days, Tehran and Washington had also clashed over the venue and agenda of the talks. Iran appeared to secure several gains on this front, including imposing its preference for Muscat as the location. Washington, for its part, said it accepted the venue after mediation by leaders from several regional states.
Insistence and Understanding
Information emerging from the talks suggested that the dominant headline was Iran’s insistence on uranium enrichment, met with what was described as American understanding.
According to Reuters, a diplomatic source said Iran rejected US calls to halt uranium enrichment on its territory. However, Tehran signalled readiness to discuss the level and purity of enrichment, or the possibility of forming a regional consortium to manage the issue.
The source added that Tehran believed American negotiators appeared to understand Iran’s position on enrichment and showed flexibility towards Iranian demands. He also noted that Iran’s missile capabilities were not discussed during the Muscat talks.
The Washington Post reported, citing officials, that Iran was unlikely to agree to concessions beyond its nuclear programme, fearing this could be perceived as weakness. However, it appeared more willing to show flexibility on the question of uranium enrichment.
The newspaper added that Tehran might be prepared to agree to a temporary suspension of enrichment for several years, though it remained unclear whether such a step would satisfy the Trump administration.
Positive Atmosphere
At the conclusion of hours of indirect negotiations in Muscat on Friday, Iranian rhetoric shifted noticeably. Araghchi said the atmosphere of the talks with the United States had been good, and that there was agreement to continue them.
He added that if this trajectory continued, a clearer framework for negotiations could be established in upcoming sessions. At the same time, he emphasised that the talks were strictly limited to the nuclear file and did not include other issues.
According to Reuters, Araghchi’s remarks were likely to ease regional concerns that the failure of these sensitive negotiations could ignite another war in the Middle East.
Late on Friday night, a statement from the other side further calmed fears, at least for the moment. US President Donald Trump praised the Muscat talks, describing them as very good and saying Iran appeared highly eager to reach an agreement.
Trump added that Washington was under no time pressure in its negotiations with Iran, stressing that the United States had ample time to reach a deal. He reiterated, however, that Washington would not allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon.
Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One while travelling to Mar a Lago in Florida late on Friday, Trump confirmed that a new round of meetings would be held early next week.
At the same time, he was careful to maintain military pressure on Tehran even as he commended the negotiations, stating that a large naval fleet was heading towards the Middle East and would arrive in the region soon. He concluded by saying: “We will see how things go.”
