Highly sensitive talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program are set to begin in the Omani capital Muscat on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump warning of military action if the talks fail.
The talks are the highest-level dialogue between the two countries since President Trump withdrew the United States from the international nuclear deal with Iran in 2018. The talks are led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the US side and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the Iranian side. According to Iran’s state news agency, Araghchi’s team left Tehran for Muscat on Saturday morning.
“I want Iran to be a prosperous and happy country, but I want it to never have a nuclear weapon,” President Trump told reporters hours before the talks began. Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, wrote on social media, “We are looking for a real and fair agreement. If the US shows goodwill, the talks can be successful.”
The formal nature of the talks has not been confirmed. The US has said there will be direct talks, while Iran has said dialogue will be through a third party. According to Iranian media, the two sides will begin indirect talks after meeting with the Omani foreign minister.
Growing concern
Both countries have been threatening each other with military action in recent days. Trump has said, “If negotiations fail, military action will be taken if necessary.” In response, Iran has threatened to expel international inspectors from the country, which the US sees as an escalation of tensions.
Analysts say Iran, which has been under severe sanctions for years, is now seeking some economic relief from the talks. Iran has stepped up its program since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. Recently, the International Energy Agency reported that Iran has up to 60 percent enriched uranium, which is close to the 90 percent needed to make weapons.
Efforts to preserve the government’s existence
Experts say Iran is not ready to completely halt its nuclear program, but there is a possibility of scaling back some activities. If the talks are successful, it is believed that Iran’s economy will recover and public discontent will decrease.
Thus, this negotiation between the US and Iran is considered very important not only for the nuclear program, but also for the peace, stability of the entire region, and the future of the Iranian government.
