Iran has confirmed that upcoming discussions with the United States will remain indirect, with Omani mediation, and will concentrate exclusively on Tehran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of US-imposed sanctions.
Speaking on Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei stressed that Iran would not engage with the US on any other matters. “Negotiations will continue to be indirect. Oman will remain the mediator, but we are discussing the location of future negotiations,” he said on state television.
The talks follow a meeting on Saturday in Muscat between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff—the highest-level engagement between the two sides since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement.
While the two representatives reportedly spoke directly for a few minutes after the meeting, Iran maintained that the negotiations were conducted indirectly, with Oman’s foreign minister acting as go-between. A second round of talks is scheduled for Saturday, April 19.
Iran reiterated its refusal to discuss non-nuclear issues, including its ballistic missile programme or its support for regional militant groups opposed to Israel—known collectively as the “axis of resistance”. American officials had reportedly hoped to broaden the scope of the discussions to include such topics.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, reimposing stringent sanctions on Iran. Although Tehran initially continued to honour the agreement, it gradually reduced its commitments in the years that followed.
Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and denies pursuing nuclear weapons.
Saturday’s rare engagement came just weeks after Trump reportedly sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging a return to talks while warning of possible military consequences should Tehran refuse.
Both sides described the initial meeting as “constructive”, with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi calling it a “friendly atmosphere”.
The talks have already had an impact on Iran’s financial markets, with the value of the Iranian rial strengthening on Sunday, improving from over one million to 850,000 to the US dollar.
Iranian media outlets offered mixed reactions. Conservative and reformist papers alike described the meeting as a potential “turning point” in US-Iran relations, while the hardline Kayhan newspaper expressed scepticism, criticising the lack of a “Plan B” and warning against trusting Washington.
Diplomatic ties between Iran and the United States have remained severed since the aftermath of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
