Updated April 08, 2025 at 15:54 PM ET
TEL AVIV, Israel — Iran says it will have indirect talks with the United States this weekend in Oman, opening a possible path to diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program but revealing a potential sticking point about the format for negotiating.
President Trump said Monday, "We're having direct talks with Iran." Speaking in the Oval Office beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the U.S. and Iran would have "a very big meeting" on Saturday at "almost the highest level."
Overnight, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media: "Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks."
On Tuesday, Trump administration officials confirmed the location would be Oman, which neighbors Saudi Arabia, and they reiterated the president's position that these would be "direct" talks. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said leading the U.S. team would be envoy Steve Witkoff, who has taken on a broad portfolio of global issues, from Ukraine to Gaza.
During Trump's first term, he withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran negotiated by former President Barack Obama and signed by several world powers. As a part of that deal, Iran agreed to limits and inspections on its nuclear development in return for relief from economic sanctions. When Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, the U.S. imposed tough sanctions and what Trump called "maximum pressure" on the country.
An annual U.S. intelligence report made public last month said "we continue to assess Iran is not building a nuclear weapon."
Iran's leaders have rejected Trump's offers to engage in direct negotiations. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian cited America's "breach of promises" and said "they must prove that they can build trust." An aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran was open to indirect talks.
At Monday's press event with Netanyahu, Trump said the deal he wants would be "different and maybe a lot stronger" than the previous one he pulled out of.
He also issued a warning to Tehran. "If the talks aren't successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger," he said.
The Iranian foreign minister responded further in an opinion piece published Thursday in The Washington Post, saying Iran would not yield to threats.
"To move forward today, we first need to agree that there can be no 'military option,' let alone a 'military solution,' " he said in the op-ed.
"We seek peace, but will never accept submission," he wrote. "The ball is now in America's court."
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