U.S. and Iran Resume Nuclear Talks in Oman \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The U.S. and Iran have restarted nuclear negotiations in Oman, marking their first direct talks since Donald Trump returned to office. Both sides described the discussions as positive but acknowledged major challenges remain. The next round is scheduled for April 19, as Tehran’s enrichment program raises global alarm.
Quick Looks
- First U.S.–Iran talks since Trump’s return held in Muscat, Oman.
- U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Abbas Araghchi briefly met face-to-face.
- White House called discussions “very positive and constructive.”
- Iran confirmed four rounds of indirect message exchanges also occurred.
- Tehran says it won’t give up enrichment but may consider limits.
- Sanctions relief, enrichment levels, and nuclear weaponization remain sticking points.
- Next round of negotiations is set for Saturday, April 19.
- Oman’s foreign minister mediating; both sides seek quick resolution.
- Trump threatens airstrikes if no agreement is reached.
- Israel’s proposed “Libya model” dismissed by Iranian officials.
Deep Look
The United States and Iran have officially resumed direct nuclear negotiations for the first time in nearly a decade, according to statements released Saturday by both governments and Iranian state media. The discussions took place on the outskirts of Muscat, Oman, a neutral location that has frequently served as diplomatic ground in past talks.
This marks the first face-to-face interaction between officials from the two adversarial nations since Donald Trump returned to the White House, and it comes amid an accelerating nuclear program in Iran and growing fears of military escalation. Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has since returned to office with an uncompromising stance toward Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Iranian state television confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff “briefly spoke” in person. While the encounter was downplayed by Iran as “a brief initial conversation,” the White House hailed it as a significant diplomatic step forward.
“This direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” the White House said in a statement, calling the tone “very positive and constructive” while acknowledging the complexity of the issues involved.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, President Trump offered a characteristically cautious assessment: “The talks are going okay. I can’t tell you because nothing matters until you get it done. But the Iran situation is going pretty good, I think.”
The high-stakes meeting, which lasted just over two hours, began around 3:30 p.m. local time and ended shortly before 6 p.m. Convoys believed to be carrying each delegation were seen entering and exiting a secure compound near the U.S. Embassy in Muscat. Journalists from the Associated Press documented the activity and later confirmed that indirect exchanges occurred between the parties during the talks.
Iranian spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that indirect talks also took place. Araghchi later told state television that four rounds of messages were exchanged, and described the meeting as “constructive,” while warning that significant work remains. “Neither we nor the other side are interested in fruitless negotiations — talks for the sake of talks. We aim to reach an agreement swiftly, but it won’t be easy,” Araghchi said.
Mediating the talks was Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who praised both nations for their willingness to engage and emphasized that the talks took place in a “friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints.” Oman has played a historic role as a neutral party in negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Key Issues: Sanctions, Enrichment, and Weaponization
At the core of the discussions are sanctions relief and uranium enrichment levels. Iran’s economy remains under intense pressure due to U.S.-imposed sanctions, while its nuclear program has advanced to unprecedented levels. Since the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, Tehran has enriched uranium to 60% purity—just a short technical step away from weapons-grade material.
Under the original JCPOA, Iran was permitted to enrich only to 3.67%, with strict caps on its uranium stockpile. Today, Tehran holds enough enriched material to build multiple nuclear weapons, should it choose to pursue that path.
Special Envoy Witkoff made the U.S. position clear in pre-trip remarks to The Wall Street Journal, stating, “Our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today… there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability.”
Iran, however, has signaled it is not willing to fully dismantle its nuclear program. Based on past negotiations, Tehran may be open to limiting enrichment to 20% but not abandoning enrichment altogether—a key sticking point for Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has advocated for a more aggressive approach, promoting a so-called “Libyan solution” that would involve the total dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure under American supervision, possibly using force. Iranian leaders have dismissed the notion outright, pointing to the fate of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who relinquished his nuclear program only to be later killed during a U.S.-backed uprising in 2011.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials have long cited Gadhafi’s fate as a cautionary tale, reinforcing deep distrust toward the U.S. and its long-term commitments.
High Stakes and Tense History
The return to direct diplomacy comes against a backdrop of nearly 50 years of U.S.–Iranian hostility, punctuated by moments of cautious engagement. While the Obama-era nuclear deal represented a diplomatic breakthrough, Trump’s 2018 withdrawal and subsequent “maximum pressure” campaign sent relations into a downward spiral.
Tensions reached a boiling point in early 2020 with the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, followed by Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq. Since then, nuclear advancement and regional proxy conflicts have further eroded any trust between the two sides.
Yet both nations now appear to acknowledge that negotiated compromise—however difficult—is preferable to armed conflict. Trump has previously threatened airstrikes if Iran edges closer to a nuclear weapon, and Iran has issued increasingly stark warnings that it may openly pursue nuclear arms if talks fail.
The next round of discussions is scheduled for Saturday, April 19, with Oman expected to continue its role as host and mediator. The international community, especially European nations and the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, will be closely watching the outcome.
Whether the talks succeed remains uncertain, but the fact that both parties are again sitting at the same table—for now—marks a fragile but meaningful shift in one of the world’s most enduring diplomatic flashpoints.
U.S. and Iran Resume U.S. and Iran Resume U.S. and Iran Resume
You must Register or Login to post a comment.