Iranian FM in Oman ahead of Nuclear Talks with US

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Oman for a new round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, after both Tehran and Washington said progress had been made in the previous stages.

Heading a diplomatic and technical-expert delegation, Araghchi arrived in Muscat on Friday and met with Omani officials ahead of the talks.

Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program will resume in Muscat today, Saturday. The talks were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi.

Experts on both sides will start hammering out the technical details of a possible deal to replace the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA].

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi will lead the Iranian technical team. Michael Anton, who serves as the State Department's head of policy planning, will lead the technical discussions on the US side.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s priority in the indirect talks with the US is the termination of unlawful and inhumane sanctions in an objective and speedy manner.

In a post on his X account on Friday, Baghaei pointed to the beginning of the third round of Iran-US talks as of tomorrow morning and said, “Termination of unlawful & inhumane sanctions in an objective and speedy manner is a priority that we seek to achieve.”

He expressed Iran’s firm determination to secure the Iranian nation’s “legitimate and lawful right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”

The spokesperson, however, added that Tehran is also ready to take “reasonable” steps to demonstrate that its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes.

“We'll see how serious & prepared is the other side to go for a fair and realistic deal,” Baghaei said.

Earlier on Friday, Baghaei said progress in the Iran-US talks requires the demonstration of goodwill, seriousness, and realism by the other side.