MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman on Saturday hosted a historic meeting in Muscat between Dr Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, to launch a process of talks between the two parties.
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, said: “I am proud to announce that today in Muscat we hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and mediated to begin a process of dialogue and negotiations with the shared aim of concluding a fair and binding agreement.”
Sayyid Badr added that the meeting took place in a friendly atmosphere that helped bring viewpoints closer together, enhancing the chances of achieving peace, security and stability at the regional and international levels.
Sayyid Badr expressed his gratitude to both parties for their commitment to this positive step, stressing that the Sultanate of Oman will carry on with its efforts to support dialogue and understanding; and contribute to creating favourable conditions for achieving constructive and sustainable results.
“I think we are very close to a basis for negotiations and if we can conclude this basis next week, we’ll have gone a long way and will be able to start real discussions based on that,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told state television.
Araqchi said the talks - a first between Iran and a Trump administration, including his first term in 2017-21 - took place in a “productive, calm and positive atmosphere”.
“Both sides have agreed to continue the talks... probably next Saturday... Iran and the US side want an agreement in the short term. We do not want talks for (the sake of) talks,” Araqchi added.
There was no immediate US comment on the talksSaturday’s exchanges were indirect talks, as Iran had wanted, rather than face-to-face, as Trump had demanded. Each delegation had its separate room and exchanged messages via Oman’s foreign minister, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
Araqchi said his delegation had a brief encounter with its US counterpart headed by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, after they exited the talks.
“After the end of more than 2-1/2 hours of indirect talks, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks. It (the encounter) was based on our political etiquette,” Araqchi said.
“The current focus of the talks will be de-escalating regional tensions, prisoner exchanges and limited agreements to ease sanctions (against Iran) in exchange for controlling Iran’s nuclear programme,” a source said. Tehran approached the talks warily, sceptical they could yield a deal and suspicious of Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Iran if it does not halt its accelerating uranium enrichment programme. While each side has talked up the chances of some progress, they remain far apart on a dispute that has rumbled on for more than two decades.
“This is a beginning. So it is normal at this stage for the two sides to present to each other their fundamental positions through the Omani intermediary,” Baghaei said. Signs of progress could help cool tensions in a region aflame since 2023 with wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Ansar Allah attacks and the change of government in Syria.
“There is a chance for initial understanding on further negotiations if the other party (US) enters the talks with an equal stance,” Araqchi told Iranian TV.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given Araqchi “full authority” for the talks, an Iranian official said. Later, Araghchi said negotiations with the United States will continue on April 19. He also said that the United States wants agreement on a new nuclear deal “as soon as possible.”
“The American side also said that a positive agreement was one that can be reached as soon as possible,” Araghchi told state television after his talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff. — Agencies
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