US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington had held “very good talks” with Iran following indirect discussions between the two sides in Oman.
Iran, for its part, said it expected further negotiations with the United States, describing a “positive atmosphere” during a day of talks in the Gulf sultanate.
With a US naval group led by an aircraft carrier operating in Middle Eastern waters, American and Iranian delegations held discussions in Muscat mediated by Oman, without meeting face-to-face.
Shortly after the talks concluded, the United States announced new sanctions against shipping entities and vessels aimed at curbing Iran’s oil exports, although it was unclear whether the move was linked to the negotiations.
The talks were the first between the two long-time adversaries since the United States joined Israel’s war with Iran in June, carrying out strikes on nuclear sites.
“We likewise had very good talks on Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while travelling to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, adding, “We’re going to meet again early next week.”
However, as Iran warned against further threats after Washington raised the prospect of new military action, Trump said: “If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Tehran’s delegation in Muscat, said the talks had “focused exclusively” on Iran’s nuclear programme, which Western powers believe is aimed at producing an atomic bomb—a claim Tehran strongly denies, insisting its programme is peaceful.
The US delegation, led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner, had also sought to place Iran’s backing of militant groups, its ballistic missile programme and its treatment of protesters on the agenda.
“In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were conveyed to us,” Araghchi told Iranian state television, adding that both sides had “agreed to continue negotiations”.
Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, Araghchi said he hoped Washington would refrain from “threats and pressure” so that “the talks can continue.”
Destabilising power
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, was present at the talks, according to images published by the Oman News Agency.
Multiple sessions held in the morning and afternoon saw delegations shuttling to and from the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
The foreign ministry of US ally Qatar expressed hope that the talks would “lead to a comprehensive agreement that serves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region”.
The White House has made clear that it wants the negotiations to curb Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon — an ambition the Islamic Republic has always denied.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Friday that Iran should stop acting as a “destabilising power”, citing its nuclear activities and support for what he described as “terrorist” groups.
Barrot also urged “groups supported by Iran” to exercise “the utmost restraint” in the event of any military escalation involving the Islamic Republic.
Maximum pressure
Trump had earlier threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters last month—a crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands—and had even told demonstrators that “help is on its way”.
Regional powers, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, urged the United States not to intervene militarily, calling instead for Washington and Tehran to return to dialogue.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Friday it had confirmed that 6,505 protesters had been killed, along with 214 members of the security forces and 61 bystanders.
Rights groups warned the toll could rise further, citing a blanket internet shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities for two weeks, which they said obscured the scale of the crackdown.
HRANA also reported that nearly 51,000 people had been arrested amid what it described as the growing use of forced confessions.
In recent days, however, Trump’s rhetoric has focused on curbing Iran’s nuclear programme, while the United States has deployed a naval group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region.
Iran has repeatedly warned that it would retaliate against US bases in the region if attacked.
The latest sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports come as Trump remains “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.
