Iran FM: Oman Talks A Test to Gauge US Seriousness

By Staff, Agencies

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the sole topic of the negotiations is the lifting of US sanctions on Tehran.

Addressing a group of intellectuals, scholars and media figures in Algiers where he was for an official visit on Tuesday, Araghchi underlined that “The upcoming talks in Muscat are a new opportunity for diplomacy and a test to gauge the seriousness of the United States, which has a long history of non-commitment and unilateralism.”

"The nuclear issue, in the sense of providing clarity and assurance about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of oppressive sanctions, is the only issue under discussion,” he said.

In an op-ed published in The Washington Post, Araghchi touched on the regular exchange of messages between Iran and the US, dismissing assumptions that they were symbolic.

“We view them as representing a genuine attempt to clarify positions and open a window toward diplomacy,” he said, adding "Iran is ready to engage in earnest and with a view to seal a deal".

"We will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect negotiations. It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The model of engagement we propose is not novel," Araghchi said, dismissing US President Donald Trump's claim of direct talks.

"The United States itself is intermediating indirect talks between Russia and Ukraine — a much more intense and complex conflict entailing strategic, territorial, military, security and economic aspects,” the minister wrote.

He said pursuing “indirect talks” is a strategic decision based on experience, not ideology, driven by deep mistrust and skepticism—intensified by the US push to revive its so-called “maximum pressure” policy before engaging diplomatically.

Araghchi touched on the US military build-up in the region, warning that it could trigger a wider conflict while emphasizing Iran’s readiness to defend itself.

“To move forward today, we first need to agree that there can be no ‘military option,’ let alone a ‘military solution.’

Araghchi warned that expanding the US military presence in the region risks American lives and undermines diplomacy, adding that "Iran, backed by a proud and resilient nation, will never yield to pressure or coercion".

Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, citing US intelligence assessments that Tehran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

He stressed that Trump might not like the JCPOA, “but it contains one vital commitment: that ‘Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.’”