Speaker aide urges caution over US talks, warns against overconfidence

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.”

Iran’s currency, the rial, rose nearly 12% on Sunday, a day after Iranian and US negotiators met in Oman in what was described as a positive step toward resolving differences over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The rial has gained around 18% in less than a week, following President Donald Trump’s April 7 announcement about the talks. After falling to 1.04 million against the US dollar, it now stands at approximately 870,000.

Since Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement and reimposed tough sanctions during his first term, the rial has lost about 95% of its value. Iran’s economy remains in crisis, with oil revenues sharply reduced under US sanctions.

Tehran is demanding a full lifting of sanctions, as its centrally managed and inefficient economy struggles with the international isolation imposed by US policy. With limited growth during more than four decades of clerical rule, the government remains heavily reliant on oil revenues to fund its budget.

"It was the Obama-Kerry position that we should trust Iran, implement a joke of a deal filled with loopholes that gave Iran billions, and hope for the best," Republican Senator Tom Cotton said.

"President Trump has been clear that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon. Remember, Iran is developing a missile program that could hit America. A nuclear Iran is an existential threat to not just our allies—but to us," he added.

Cotton made the remarks in reaction to a post by American broadcaster Mark Levin in which he criticized the Biden administration's handling of Iran's nuclear program.

Iranian officials have indicated that, as part of any renewed agreement, they are seeking the rapid removal of US nuclear-related sanctions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

They are also pushing for the release of billions of dollars currently frozen in foreign accounts and want the United States to stop pressuring Chinese companies that purchase Iranian oil, the report added citing Iranian and Arab sources.

In return, the report said, Iranian representatives have conveyed to European interlocutors that Tehran would be willing to scale its nuclear enrichment back to the levels permitted under the 2015 agreement, which the US exited during Donald Trump’s first presidential term.

Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to restrict its uranium enrichment to no more than 3.67% U-235, far below the roughly 90% needed for weapons-grade material.