Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday he hoped negotiations with the United States would resume shortly, while reiterating Tehran’s red lines and warning that any US attack would be met with retaliation.
In excerpts published on his official Telegram channel from an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said Iran’s missile programme was “never negotiable” and described it as a “defence issue”. He warned that Tehran would target US bases in the region if American forces attacked Iranian territory.
Despite the talks in Muscat on Friday being indirect, Araghchi said “an opportunity arose to shake hands with the American delegation”. He described the discussions as “a good start” but added that “there is a long way to go to build trust” and confirmed the talks would resume “soon”.
US President Donald Trump called the meetings “very good” and pledged another round of negotiations next week. However, he also signed an executive order from Saturday imposing tariffs on countries still trading with Iran and announced new sanctions targeting shipping entities and vessels to curb Iran’s oil exports.
More than a quarter of Iran’s trade is with China, amounting to $18 billion in imports and $14.5 billion in exports in 2024, according to WTO data. Araghchi reaffirmed that nuclear enrichment is Iran’s “inalienable right and must continue”, adding that the nuclear issue “will only be resolved through negotiations” and that Iran is “ready to reach a reassuring agreement on enrichment”.
The talks come amid a significant US military buildup in the region following Iran’s crackdown on protests since late December. Iranian authorities have acknowledged 3,117 deaths in the unrest, though international groups report higher figures; the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has verified 6,872 deaths and more than 50,000 arrests.
Friday’s negotiations were the first since nuclear talks collapsed last year after Israel’s bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear sites, which triggered a 12-day war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet Trump on Wednesday to discuss the talks, insisting any agreement must limit Iran’s ballistic missiles and curb its support for allied groups in the region.
Speaking separately at the Al Jazeera Forum in Qatar, Araghchi criticised a “doctrine of domination” that allows Israel to expand its military while pressuring other states to disarm, though he did not directly mention the Oman talks.
The US delegation at Friday’s discussions was led by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Araghchi expressed hope that Washington would avoid “threats and pressure” so the negotiations could continue.
