IRIA News

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Delegations from Iran and the United States met in Oman on April 12, 2025, to conduct the highest-level discussions for the first time since 2018. The discussions were focused on finding a way forward on Tehran’s nuclear program.

The meeting between the two fierce rivals is seen as a critical early step in potentially reviving diplomacy. The talks were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and took place in the capital, Muscat.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian delegation, while Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff headed the U.S. team. The discussions lasted for two and a half hours and were conducted indirectly, with both parties seated in separate rooms and exchanging messages through the Omani mediator. According to Araghchi, the delegations agreed to resume talks next week, although the location may shift from Oman.

“Fair and honorable agreement”

Araghchi emphasized Iran’s readiness to reach a “fair and honorable agreement,” saying, “Neither we, nor the other party, want fruitless negotiations, discussions for discussions’ sake, time wasting, or talks that drag on forever.” He added that the Iranian team included experts experienced in nuclear negotiations.

Despite the indirect nature of the meeting, a brief in-person exchange did occur. Araghchi revealed that he and Witkoff “talked for a few minutes” with Al Busaidi when leaving the meeting. The Omani foreign minister later expressed pride in hosting the dialogue, describing the atmosphere as “friendly” and conducive to bridging views for “regional and global peace, security, and stability.”

First breakthrough

These talks mark the first substantial engagement between the two nations since President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Trump, who has returned to office, had long vowed to secure what he called a “better” deal and recently sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader via the UAE expressing his desire to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and avoid potential military confrontations.

The Iranian position, according to Araghchi, remains focused on limiting rather than dismantling its nuclear activities in return for relief from economic sanctions. “Our intention is to reach a fair and honorable agreement from an equal position,” Araghchi said, stressing that if the U.S. adopts the same stance, “then hopefully there will be a chance for an initial understanding that will lead to a path of negotiations.”

“There’s no negotiations,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce hit back on Tuesday. “This is a dynamic where the president has made very clear and certainly the secretary has made very clear that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” she said. “It’s touching base, yes. Again, it is not a negotiation. It’s a meeting.”

Witkoff, a real estate mogul and close Trump ally, lacks traditional diplomatic experience, a fact not overlooked by Tehran. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian recently stated his country is open to U.S. investments.

Oman’s role as mediator

Oman, which has historically played a neutral and mediatory role in regional conflicts, appears poised to continue its role as a go-between. While the next round of talks may be held outside Oman, both parties reportedly agreed that Muscat’s mediation would continue.

Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Monday, warned that “it would be a very bad day for Iran” if the talks fail. On the eve of the discussions, he had stated his desire for Iran “to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they can’t have nuclear weapons.” His administration has made it clear that military action remains on the table if diplomacy breaks down.

Israel raises reservations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently visited the White House, said he and Trump agreed that “Iran will not have nuclear weapons.” Netanyahu has called for a “Libya-style deal,” referencing the 2003 agreement in which Libya fully dismantled its weapons program. Such a proposal is unlikely to gain traction in Tehran, which has explicitly stated that it will not negotiate over its ballistic missile program or broader defense capabilities.

Tehran has maintained that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and denies seeking to develop atomic weapons. However, since the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 agreement, Iran has gradually expanded its nuclear activities, breaching several of the deal’s restrictions in retaliation for renewed U.S. sanctions. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently reported that Iran has stockpiled uranium enriched to 60%, just below weapons-grade, and could rapidly reach 90% purity if it chose to do so.

Reviving nuclear diplomacy

Under the original 2015 deal, Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment to 3.67% for 15 years and accepted extensive inspections. The agreement, struck after nearly two years of negotiations, brought relief from international sanctions in return for curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

With that deal now largely defunct and set to expire later this year, both parties face more complex challenges. Iran’s nuclear program has advanced significantly, and regional dynamics have shifted amid broader geopolitical tensions. Araghchi’s visit to Muscat was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, signaling the seriousness of Tehran’s engagement.

The stakes of these new negotiations are high, not only for Iran and the U.S., but for regional stability as well. A source in Oman indicated that alongside the nuclear file, the discussions may also aim to de-escalate broader tensions and possibly secure prisoner exchanges.

The latest initiative follows several failed rounds of indirect negotiations during the Biden administration, which had attempted to revive the JCPOA with the mediation of European Union representatives in Vienna. Those talks ended without resolution, largely due to disagreements over the sequencing of sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear compliance.

Divided opinions within Iran

Inside Iran, the prospect of talks with the U.S. remains divisive. Some political factions see negotiations as a necessary step toward ending sanctions and economic isolation, while others remain deeply skeptical of Washington’s intentions, especially under Trump’s leadership.

Still, Araghchi’s comments and the carefully choreographed setting of indirect talks suggest that both sides are testing the waters for what could eventually evolve into more direct negotiations. Whether these early steps will yield a new agreement remains uncertain, but the decision to resume contact after years of hostility signals a cautious willingness to explore diplomatic solutions once again.