Iran and the USA have begun talks in Oman over Teheran’s nuclear programme – the very best stage assembly between the 2 nations since 2018.
Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi instructed Iranian state tv his nation wished a “truthful settlement”, together with his spokesperson saying he didn’t count on talks to final lengthy.
President Donald Trump pulled the US out of a earlier nuclear settlement between Iran and world powers in 2018, and has lengthy stated he would make a “higher” deal.
It’s unclear if the 2 delegations will sit in the identical room, however the talks are seen as an essential first step to establishing whether or not a deal may be completed, in addition to a framework for negotiations.
Araghchi has repeatedly emphasised that oblique talks had been finest at this stage.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, who’s main the US delegation, has solely spoken of assembly face-to-face.
However crucial situation is what sort of deal either side would settle for.
Trump despatched a letter to Iran’s supreme chief by way of the United Arab Emirates final month, saying he wished a deal to forestall Iran from buying nuclear weapons and to avert potential navy strikes by the US and Israel.
Iran hopes a deal to restrict, however not dismantle, its nuclear programme in alternate for sanctions aid.
“Our intention is to achieve a good and honourable settlement from an equal place, and if the opposite aspect additionally comes from the identical place, then hopefully there can be an opportunity for an preliminary understanding that can result in a path of negotiations,” Araghchi stated.
He added that the staff that got here with him was made up of specialists “educated on this explicit area and who’ve a historical past of negotiating on this situation”.
An unnamed supply in Oman instructed the information company Reuters that the talks would additionally search to de-escalate regional tensions and safe prisoner exchanges.
Trump disclosed the upcoming talks throughout a go to by Benjamin Netanyahu to the White Home on Monday. The Israeli prime minister stated on Tuesday that each leaders had agreed “Iran is not going to have nuclear weapons”.
Trump has warned that the US would use navy power if a deal was not reached, and Iran has repeatedly stated it is not going to negotiate underneath strain.
The US president instructed reporters within the Oval Workplace on Monday that this weekend’s assembly in Oman could be “very huge”, whereas additionally warning that it might “be a really dangerous day for Iran” if the talks had been unsuccessful.
Iran insists its nuclear actions are completely peaceable and that it’ll by no means search to develop or purchase nuclear weapons.
Nonetheless, since Trump pulled out of the 2015 settlement – which expires later this 12 months – Iran has more and more breached restrictions imposed by the present nuclear deal in retaliation for crippling US sanctions reinstated seven years in the past, and has stockpiled sufficient highly-enriched uranium to make a number of bombs.
Witkoff has additionally been concerned in peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine battle, assembly Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday.
