U.S. and Iran Set for Indirect Nuclear Talks in Oman Saturday/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Iran confirmed it will engage in indirect nuclear talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman, aiming to address its accelerating uranium enrichment. While President Trump described the talks as direct, Iranian officials clarified they prefer indirect dialogue through Omani mediators. The announcement briefly boosted Iran’s struggling currency and stock market.
Iran Confirms Indirect Talks With U.S. Over Nuclear Program: Quick Looks
- Iran will hold indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman.
- Iranian FM Araghchi confirms preference for indirect negotiations.
- President Trump claims talks will be direct, sparking confusion.
- Uranium enrichment in Iran now at 60%, near weapons-grade level.
- Talks follow Trump’s letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei.
- Iran’s currency and stock market rebound after talks announced.
- No direct talks since the Obama-era nuclear agreement.
- Kremlin supports diplomatic path to de-escalate nuclear tensions.
- Trump continues airstrikes on Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen.
- Iran’s economic crisis driving urgency for sanctions relief.
U.S. and Iran Set for Indirect Nuclear Talks in Oman Saturday
Deep Look
Iran Agrees to Indirect Talks With U.S. on Nuclear Program Amid Heightened Tensions
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Tuesday that his country will hold indirect nuclear talks with U.S. officials in Oman, marking the Trump administration’s first formal diplomatic move toward reining in Tehran’s rapidly expanding nuclear program.
The talks, Araghchi said, will be facilitated by Omani mediators shuttling between the two delegations, though President Donald Trump had described the planned engagement as a direct dialogue in public remarks the day before.
“The main goal in these talks is to secure the lifting of sanctions and protect the rights of the Iranian people,” Araghchi told Iranian state television from Algeria. “If the other side truly intends to make progress, this is achievable — regardless of whether talks are direct or indirect.”
Conflicting Signals: Direct or Indirect?
While the Trump administration announced negotiations as direct, Iranian officials are standing firm on their preference for indirect talks at this stage. Araghchi, however, left open the possibility that Tehran may consider direct engagement in the future — a level of dialogue not seen since the Obama-era negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear accord.
There has been no official confirmation from Washington on whether envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the American delegation, but the announcement comes shortly after Trump sent a personal letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seeking to initiate negotiations.
Trump’s approach comes amid a broader shift in his Middle East strategy, which includes ongoing airstrikes on Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen and continued military pressure on Tehran’s regional proxies.
Economic Optimism Amid Diplomatic Breakthrough
News of the upcoming talks sparked immediate reaction in Iran’s fragile economy. The rial, which had fallen to a record low of over 1 million to the U.S. dollar, rebounded to 990,000. The Tehran Stock Exchange also rose by approximately 2%, reflecting cautious optimism among Iranian investors and businesses.
Iran’s economy has been in a prolonged crisis since Trump withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reimposed sweeping sanctions in 2018. At the time of the deal, the rial traded at 32,000 to the dollar. Since then, inflation, unemployment, and currency devaluation have forced many Iranians to shift their savings to foreign currencies, gold, or even cryptocurrencies.
Nuclear Escalation Heightens Urgency
Iran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity — just short of weapons-grade levels — intensifying concerns in Washington, Tel Aviv, and other capitals. While Iran insists its nuclear program remains peaceful, officials have begun hinting that Tehran could pursue nuclear weapons if pressured further.
The Biden administration’s attempts at indirect negotiations with Iran through European intermediaries had collapsed without progress, leaving Trump’s team to restart diplomatic efforts under vastly different conditions.
Trump Letter Opens Path to Talks
Saturday’s planned talks in Oman were reportedly catalyzed by Trump’s letter to Khamenei. The Supreme Leader had publicly dismissed the idea of negotiations with Trump earlier this year, calling them neither “intelligent” nor “honorable.” However, the letter appears to have opened a backchannel, even if Tehran insists the talks remain indirect.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the development, saying Russia supports political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. “We are aware that both direct and indirect contacts are planned in Oman,” he told reporters in Moscow. “We can only welcome them if they reduce regional tensions.”
Regional Reactions and Ongoing Conflicts
In the broader regional context, the talks come amid heightened volatility. Trump continues to target the last remaining faction in Iran’s so-called “Axis of Resistance” — the Houthis in Yemen — with regular airstrikes. Other Iranian-backed groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have been weakened by Israeli military campaigns, leaving Tehran diplomatically isolated and under intense pressure.
The Trump administration hopes the nuclear talks will provide a diplomatic off-ramp while continuing to exert military pressure on Iran’s regional proxies.
Whether indirect negotiations will lead to meaningful outcomes remains unclear. But for now, both sides appear to have found a fragile starting point for diplomacy in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
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