Tehran, Iran – Iran announced the start of the first round of nuclear negotiations with the United States in the Omani capital, Muscat. This comes amid growing concerns that US President Donald Trump might carry out his threats to launch military strikes against Tehran. This coincides with a significant US military buildup in the region. Iran seeks to limit the negotiations to the nuclear issue alone. In contrast, the United States insists on expanding the scope of the talks to include other issues. Among the most prominent of these are the ballistic missile program and Tehran’s support for its proxies in the region. Additionally, the Iranian authorities’ handling of protesters is also on the agenda. Prior to the start of the negotiations, Iran called for “mutual respect.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote in a post on the X platform from Muscat that “equality, mutual respect, and mutual interest are not empty words, but rather essential conditions and foundations for any lasting agreement.”
These talks are the first of their kind since the United States launched strikes last June on key sites linked to Iran’s nuclear program. This occurred during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran. Prior to the start of negotiations on Friday morning, Araqchi held talks with his Omani counterpart, Badr al-Busaidi, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency. Araqchi stated, “Iran is entering diplomacy with open eyes and a firm memory of the past year,” emphasizing that his country is “conducting the talks in good faith, while firmly adhering to its rights.” The US delegation is headed by President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Wittkopf, and includes Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.
