iran-us-hold-constructive-nuke-talks-next-on-april-19

Iran and the United States held talks on Saturday over Tehran’s nuclear programme, marking the first such engagement since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.

 

The meeting, held in the Omani capital of Muscat, lasted two and a half hours and was conducted indirectly through Omani mediation.

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi led Tehran’s delegation, while Steve Witkoff , the White House Special Envoy to the Middle East, represented Washington.

 

Following the formal talks, a brief face-to-face exchange took place between Araghchi and Witkoff in the presence of Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, a move seen as a symbolic thaw in communication.

 

Speaking after the meeting, Araghchi described the session as “constructive” and said it was held in a “calm and very respectful atmosphere.”

 

“No inappropriate language was used, and the two sides demonstrated their commitment to advancing the talks until the achievement of a mutually favourable agreement from an equal position,” the Iranian Foreign Minister stated.

 

He added that the aim for the next round, scheduled for 19 April though possibly not in Muscat, would be to establish a general framework for a future agreement.

 

“In the next round of the talks, we will try to enter the negotiations’ agenda, which will, of course, have a timetable alongside it,” he said, adding that the goal was to begin “real talks” soon.

 

Confirming the development, US President Donald Trump remarked: “The talks with Tehran are going okay. Nothing matters until you get it done, so I don’t like talking about it. But it’s going okay. The Iran situation is going pretty well.”

 

Witkoff , who has played a key role in the Trump administration’s Middle East diplomacy and was reportedly instrumental in securing Israel’s earlier agreement to a Gaza truce, is also Washington’s lead negotiator with Moscow.

 

While both nations have voiced cautious optimism following the Muscat talks, foreign policy analysts observed that substantial differences persist between the two sides.

 

The next round of discussions on 19 April is expected to test the willingness of both parties to compromise.