More Stories
The initial indirect nuclear discussions between Iran and the United States in Muscat established a tone of equality between the two parties, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“In my view, for a first session, it was a constructive meeting,” Araghchi said in remarks published by Iranian media after the talks.
“It was conducted in a calm and very respectful environment. No inappropriate language was used, and both parties demonstrated their intent to pursue these negotiations toward an agreement from an equal footing.”
The meeting, facilitated through shuttle diplomacy by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, lasted about two and a half hours, he added.
Araghchi confirmed that Busaidi moved between the Iranian and American delegations four times to relay messages.
The Iranian official said that Tehran is not interested in drawn-out or symbolic dialogue. “We and the other side both believe in avoiding time-wasting negotiations. The US also indicated that it seeks a fair and timely agreement,” he added.
A second session is expected to be held next Saturday. Araghchi said while Oman will continue to host the process, the physical location may change.
The White House also described the exchange as a rare moment of diplomacy amid longstanding tensions.
US and Iranian officials held “very positive and constructive” talks in Muscat on Saturday, the White House said in a statement.
Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff, accompanied by Ambassador Ana Escrogima, met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in talks hosted by Oman’s foreign minister.
“Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible. These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” added the statement.
A member of Iran's parliament said on Sunday that the legislative body has been kept entirely in the dark regarding the ongoing talks.
Addressing the parliament, Tehran representative Mehdi Kouchakzadeh said, "Oh nation, know that the parliament has no information or news about the negotiations, but now that it is intended to proceed with complete bitterness, we will not oppose it."
A senior aide to Iran’s parliamentary speaker urged caution following nuclear negotiations, warning that any US shift in position could quickly unravel.
The process had yielded concessions, said Mohammad Saeed Ahadian, but warned against what he called excessive optimism as President Donald Trump could disavow his envoy’s stance at any moment.
“If you show weakness to a bully like Trump, you’ll end up like Zelensky—humiliated and empty-handed,” Ahadian wrote in an editorial for hardline Khorasan daily.
He credited Iran’s posture—driven by the Supreme Leader and supported by the heads of all branches of power—as the reason for what he called a US retreat from its earlier positions.
According to Ahadian, calibrated threats by military and political figures and a refusal to engage directly were key to shifting the dynamic.
He concluded that strategic patience and national unity remain critical as negotiations enter what he described as a “highly complex and difficult phase.”
US and Iranian officials held “very positive and constructive” talks in Muscat on Saturday, the White House said, describing the exchange as a rare moment of diplomacy amid longstanding tensions.
Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff, accompanied by Ambassador Ana Escrogima, met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in talks hosted by Oman’s foreign minister.“The United States deeply thanks the Sultanate of Oman for its support of this initiative,” the White House said in a statement.
“Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible. These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.”
Both sides agreed to meet again next Saturday.
A hardline Iranian daily described recent negotiations in Oman as a clear demonstration of Iranian strength and American weakness.
In its Sunday edition, Javan newspaper wrote Tehran dictated “the type of talks, their timing, location and agenda,” portraying Washington’s participation as a sign of strategic need, not strength.
“The key point in these negotiations is that all of Iran’s conditions were imposed,” the editorial read.
The paper also welcomed the absence of European powers from the discussions, calling it a strategic victory that removed what it described as “tools of American pressure” in past negotiations.
It further wrote US military threats against Iran had become an empty “publicity bluff,” citing past conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as evidence of limited US appetite for confrontation.
In a nod to Iran’s internal political alignment, Javan suggested that efforts to divide Iranian institutions had failed, adding that “Parliament, the judiciary, and the administration are now moving in tandem.”
