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Iran’s chief diplomat has announced that nuclear discussions with the United States, facilitated by Oman, have commenced positively and are expected to progress further. This development eases fears that a lack of agreement could escalate tensions in the Middle East.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi emphasized the country’s firm stance on keeping the negotiations focused exclusively on Iran’s nuclear agenda.
“For any dialogue to proceed, it must be free from threats and pressure. Our discussions with the US are limited to the nuclear issue alone,” Araqchi asserted.
The talks unfolded on Friday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, with Araqchi, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, a senior advisor to US President Donald Trump, in attendance.
The US has expressed a desire to broaden the scope of the talks to include Iran’s ballistic missile program, its support for regional militant groups, and its domestic human rights practices, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week.
A regional diplomat briefed by Iran on the talks said Iran insisted on its “right to enrich uranium” during the negotiations with the US, and its missile capabilities were not raised in the discussions.
Trump on Friday ratcheted up the pressure on Iran with an executive order imposing a 25 per cent tariff on imports from any country that “directly or indirectly” purchases goods from Iran, following through on a threat he made last month.
The White House has said the measure is intended to deter third countries from maintaining commercial ties with Iran, particularly in energy, metals and petrochemicals, sectors that remain key sources of revenue for the Iranian government.
‘Very serious’ talks, Oman says
Mediator Badr al-Busaidi, Oman’s foreign minister, said the talks had been “very serious” and the goal was to reconvene in due course.
Despite the talks, the United States announced on Friday it was sanctioning 15 entities and 14 shadow-fleet vessels connected to illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemical products.
Iran’s leadership remains deeply worried that Trump may carry out his threats to strike Iran after a US military buildup in the region.
Last June, the US struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Iran has since said it has halted uranium enrichment activity.
The naval buildup, which Trump has called a massive “armada,” has followed a bloody government crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran last month, heightening tensions between the US and Iran.
Trump has said “bad things” will probably happen if a deal cannot be reached, increasing pressure on the Islamic Republic in a standoff that has led to mutual threats of airstrikes
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