Iran said on Friday, February 6, that it expected to hold more negotiations with the United States, hailing a “positive atmosphere” during a day of talks in Oman but warning against threats after Washington raised the specter of new military action.
With an American naval group led by an aircraft carrier in Middle Eastern waters, US and Iranian delegations held talks in Muscat mediated by the Gulf sultanate without publicly meeting face-to-face. Shortly after the talks concluded, the US announced new sanctions against shipping entities and vessels, aimed at curbing Iran’s oil exports. But it was not clear if the move was linked to the talks.
The talks were the first between the two foes since the United States joined Israel’s war with Iran in June with strikes on nuclear sites. They also come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead, according to rights groups.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Iran’s delegation in Muscat, said talks “focused exclusively” on the Iranian nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists is peaceful.
“We likewise had very good talks on Iran, Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly,” Trump said to reporters on board Air Force One en route to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the weekend.
“We’re going to meet again early next week,” he added.
The US delegation, led by the Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner, had also wanted Tehran’s backing of militant groups, its ballistic missile program and treatment of protesters on the agenda.
According to US news website Axios, the talks featured a direct meeting between Witkoff, Kushner and Araghchi, but there was no official confirmation from either side.
“In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were shared with us,” Araghchi told Iranian state TV, adding that the two sides had “agreed to continue negotiations, but we will decide on the modalities and timing at a later date.”
Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, he expressed hope that Washington would refrain from “threats and pressure” so that “the talks can continue.” There was no immediate comment from the American delegation in Muscat.
‘Maximum pressure’
Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters last month and even told demonstrators “help is on its way.” Regional powers, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, urged the United States not to intervene, calling on Washington and Tehran to instead return to talks.
But Trump’s rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear program and the US has maneuvered a naval group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region. Iran has repeatedly vowed it will hit back at US bases in the region if attacked.
The new sanctions to curb Iran’s oil exports come with Trump “committed to driving down the Iranian regime’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the administration’s maximum pressure campaign,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
