Former US negotiator warns against hyping direct Iran-US conversation

Oman's foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi said talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat began in a friendly atmosphere aimed at reaching a fair and binding agreement.

"The engagement took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability," he said in a post on X.

"We will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal," he added.

US President Donald Trump said the only goal of US talks with Iran is to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, according to CBS journalist Jennifer Jacobs.

“Only that,” Jacobs quoted Trump as saying.

Earlier Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson rejected a Reuters report which cited an Omani source as saying the talks aimed to reduce regional tensions and facilitate prisoner swaps.

Iran–US talks in Oman have concluded, according to the Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News agency.

The Associated Press reported that a convoy believed to be carrying US envoy Steve Witkoff has driven away from a compound where talks are taking place.

There was no immediate official confirmation from either the Iranian or the American sides.

Indirect talks between Iran and the United States are proceeding positively, the Tasnim news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported on Saturday citing a member of Iran’s negotiating team.

The source added that the discussions are unlikely to continue into Sunday.

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Iran said Saturday that the current round of indirect talks with the United States in Oman will not be lengthy, emphasizing its commitment to a focused diplomatic process on nuclear and sanctions issues.

“This is a starting point, and at this stage, both sides are presenting their foundational positions through the Omani mediator,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told Iranian media. “So, we do not expect this round of talks to be long.”

Baghaei also pushed back against recent reporting, particularly from Reuters, which cited an Omani source saying the talks aimed to reduce regional tensions and facilitate prisoner swaps.

“These claims are completely baseless,” Baghaei said. “Reuters has a long history of fabricating and publishing misleading reports. The references to Omani officials are inaccurate. Oman has always acted professionally in its mediation efforts.”

“Our objective is clear: we have only one goal, and that is to secure Iran’s national interests,” he added. “We are giving diplomacy a real and sincere opportunity to move forward.”