Tehran: Iran said Friday that it gave diplomacy a “real” chance in surprising nuclear conversations with the United States in Oman, despite the Washington mounting pressure.
LongTime opponents Iran and the United States are ready to hold conversations on Saturday in Muscat, aiming to reach a potential nuclear deal. President Donald Trump on Monday gave a shock message that his administration would open negotiations with Iran.
“We give diplomacy a true chance in good faith and full vigilance. America should appreciate this decision that was made despite their hostile rhetoric,” spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post of X.
Leading the negotiations will be the American special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Trump said the negotiations would be “direct”, but Araghchi has insisted that they would be “indirect”.
Prior to the planned meeting, Washington continued his “maximum pressure” policy for sanctions against Iran, most recently targeting his oil network and nuclear program.
On Wednesday, Trump said military action against Iran was “absolutely” possible if conversations could not produce an agreement.
On Thursday, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that such threats could cause measures, including the deportation of the UN Nuclear Guard Dog Inspectors from Iran.
Washington replied by saying that such a movement would be “an escalation and a wrong calculation on the part of Iran.”
Saturday’s negotiations come after Trump sent a letter last month to Khamenei and called for negotiations and warning of possible military action if Tehran refuses.
Tehran replied weeks later and said it was open to indirect negotiations and rejected the possibility of direct conversations as long as the United States maintain its “maximum pressure” policy.
Baqaei said Iran will “neither prejudice nor predict” prior to the conversations.
“We intend to assess intentions and seriousness on the other side on Saturday and adjust our next move accordingly,” Baqaei said.
