Iran’s Foreign Ministry introduced Sunday that talks with the U.S. will stay oblique and restricted to the nuclear concern and sanctions aid, with Oman persevering with to function mediator.
Iranian high diplomat Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held talks Saturday in Muscat, marking the highest-level Iran-U.S. nuclear negotiations because the collapse of a 2015 accord.
They agreed to fulfill once more in seven days.
“Negotiations will continue to be indirect. Oman will remain the mediator, but we are discussing the location of future negotiations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei mentioned in an interview with state TV.
He mentioned the talks would solely give attention to “the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions,” and that Iran “will not have any talks with the American side on any other issue.”
Analysts had mentioned the U.S. would push to incorporate on the agenda discussions over Iran’s ballistic missile programme together with Tehran’s assist for the “axis of resistance” – a community of armed teams against Israel.
Tehran has, nonetheless, maintained it should discuss solely about its nuclear program.
Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers throughout his first time period as U.S. president.
Saturday’s uncommon negotiations got here weeks after Trump despatched a letter to Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging nuclear talks whereas warning of doable army motion if Iran refuses.
Iran and the U.S. individually described Saturday’s discussions as “constructive.”
Iran mentioned the talks had been held not directly with Oman’s overseas minister appearing as middleman.
The negotiators, Araghchi and Witkoff, spoke straight for “a few minutes” after the talks, Tehran’s Foreign Ministry mentioned.
Another spherical of talks can be held on Saturday, April 19.
Asked concerning the talks, Trump instructed journalists aboard Air Force One: “I think they’re going OK. Nothing matters until you get it done.”
The course of passed off in a “friendly atmosphere,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi mentioned.
‘Turning level’
Iran, reeling from Israel’s pummelling of its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, is in search of aid from wide-ranging sanctions hobbling its financial system.
Tehran has agreed to the conferences regardless of baulking at Trump’s “maximum pressure” marketing campaign of ramping up sanctions and repeated army threats.
On Sunday, Iranian media largely welcomed the uncommon talks as a “decisive turning point” in relations between the longtime foes.
Iran’s conservative Javan every day praised the U.S. for “not seeking to expand the negotiations to non-nuclear issues.”
The government-sponsored newspaper, Iran, described the discussions as “constructive and respectful,” quoting Araghchi.
Meanwhile, the reformist Shargh newspaper mentioned it was a “decisive turning point” in Iran-U.S. relations.
The hardline Kayhan newspaper, which was largely sceptical within the days main as much as the talks, lamented that Iran doesn’t have a “plan B” whereas there was “no clear prospect for an agreement with Donald Trump.”
It, nonetheless, lauded the truth that the American facet didn’t carry up “the dismantling of nuclear facilities” and “the possibility of a military attack” in the course of the discussions.
Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed shah.
Iran has been cautious about partaking in talks with the United States, typically citing earlier expertise and undermined belief.
After pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal Trump reimposed sweeping financial sanctions in opposition to Iran.
Tehran continued to stick to the settlement for a 12 months after Washington’s pullout however later started rolling again its personal commitments.
Iran has constantly denied in search of to amass nuclear weapons.
Source: www.dailysabah.com