US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expected to make a decision on Iran “very quickly” following what both Washington and Tehran described as positive and constructive indirect talks held in Oman.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump confirmed he had met with advisers to discuss Iran and anticipated a swift outcome. However, he did not elaborate. “We'll be making a decision on Iran very quickly,” he said.
The indirect negotiations, held in Muscat on Saturday, marked a rare moment of diplomatic engagement between the long-time adversaries. The discussions were aimed at addressing western concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian delegation, while US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff headed the US team. Despite the potential for disappointment, the meeting appeared to open a path forward, with both sides agreeing to continue negotiations towards a possible new nuclear agreement.
The format followed Iran’s insistence on indirect talks, with Oman acting as mediator. This arrangement came despite a prior announcement by Mr Trump, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that the US would pursue direct meetings with Iran.
Following the talks, leaders across the Middle East, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, responded with cautious optimism, noting the shift in tone after years of impasse.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed this change in rhetoric last week by inviting American investors to the country, a notable departure from Tehran’s usual messaging towards its primary geopolitical rival. From the US side, deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus told The National that the Trump administration is staffed with officials focused on “deliverables” and “outcomes.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry representative Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that the Muscat talks were the first round of indirect discussions aimed at lifting what Iran calls the “illegal sanctions”. He said the sides agreed on a general framework for negotiations.
“We have repeatedly said and shown in practice that we have no concerns or obstacles to build trust regarding the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” Mr Baqaei told state media. “We have proven that in practice over the past two decades, and everyone knows what happened to that agreement – Iran fully adhered to its commitments, and ultimately the United States unilaterally withdrew from it,” he added, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Mr Baqaei also noted that Saturday’s discussions were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi and involved four rounds of message exchanges covering positions and negotiating frameworks. He described the atmosphere as respectful and the outcome as constructive.
Asked whether both sides had laid out their demands and conditions, he said: “Yes, in principle, in any negotiation of this kind, general frameworks are exchanged in the first meeting and both sides specify in what format and under what principles they are willing to negotiate.”
According to Axios, quoting two sources, a second round of nuclear talks is scheduled to take place on April 19 in Rome.
