Iran and the US will negotiate more than next week Tehran’s rapid advance nuclear programIranian state television reported on Saturday at the end of the first talks between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Iran’s state broadcaster has revealed that US Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkov and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragci have “temporarily spoken” – first time The two countries have done it since the Obama administration.
Tehran’s declaration that both sides spoke face to face suggests that even for a short time, negotiations have worked well for television in Iranian provinces, which have long been dominated by hardliners.
In a statement released Saturday afternoon, the White House described the discussion as “very positive and constructive,” but acknowledged it would “much complicate” the issues that need to be resolved.
“Today’s special envoy was a step forward today to achieve mutually beneficial results,” the White House said.
According to a statement from Iran and the United States, the next round of talks will be held on Saturday, April 19th.
The first round of the talk began around 3:30pm, at the locals at about 3:30pm. Both sides gave a speech at a location on the outskirts of Muscat, Oman’s capital, over two hours, and ended the meeting around 5:50pm local time. The convoy, believed to be carrying Witkov, disappeared into traffic around the neighborhood, home to the US Embassy, after returning to Muscat.
Negotiation interests cannot be high in both countries. Closes to half a century of hostility. Trump repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program if the deal was not reached. Iranian officials are increasingly warning that uranium stockpiles can be enriched to weapons-grade levels to pursue nuclear weapons.
The lecture was held in Oman on Saturday afternoon.
Associated Press journalists saw Witkov left the Oman Foreign Ministry on Saturday afternoon and seen a convoy believed to be speeding up to the outskirts of Muscat. The fleet entered the compound, and minutes later, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghhai wrote on social platform X that an “indirect speech” had begun.
Araghchi then described the meeting as constructive to Iranian provincial television, and four rounds of messages were exchanged in the indirect portion.
“Neither we nor the other side are interested in fruitless negotiations. It is what we call “talks for consultation,” wasting time or exhausting negotiations,” he said. “Both sides, including Americans, say their goal is also to reach an agreement in the shortest possible time. But that’s certainly not an easy task.”
The two men spoke face to face and met the demands of the Americans. Trump and Witkoff both discussed being “direct.”
“I think our position starts with the demolition of your program, and that’s what we are today,” Witkov told the Wall Street Journal before his trip. “That doesn’t mean that, by the way, we’re not going to find any other way to find a compromise between the two countries in the margin.”
He added: “Where are our red lines, we can’t weaponize your nuclear abilities.”
However, Araguchi tried to downplay the encounter as “a short first conversation, greeting, polite interaction.”
Omani’s foreign minister Badr al-Busadi, who traveled back and forth between the two sides, said the state had “a common purpose of entering into a fair and binding agreement.”
“I would like to thank my two colleagues for this engagement. This engagement took place in a friendly atmosphere that bridges perspectives and ultimately helps achieve regional and global peace, security and stability,” Al-Busaidi wrote about X.
Relief and enrichment of sanctions remains
The US can provide sanctions relief to Iran’s plagued economy, but it remains unclear how willing Iran will admit it. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched at 3.67%. Today, Tehran stockpiles are rich in materials up to 60%, a short technical step from weapons grade levels, which can allow for the construction of multiple nuclear weapons if chosen. Judging from negotiations since Trump unilaterally withdraws the US in 2018, Iran will ask to enrich uranium to at least 20%.
One thing that doesn’t do is abandon the program completely. It has stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal for the so-called Libyan solution, “You’ll come in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American overseer, American execution.”
Iranians, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supported what ultimately happened to Moremar Gadafi, the late Libyan dictator who was killed with his own gun by rebels in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
