Trump Hours After Oman Talks End: Negotiations with Iran Are Going Well

The President of the United States stated hours after the first round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. regarding Tehran's nuclear program that the talks are progressing well. Donald Trump said early Sunday, April 24, to reporters accompanying him on Air Force One, "I think it's going well." He also mentioned, "Until something is done, there’s nothing important [to say], so I don’t want to talk about it. But it’s going well; I think the situation in Iran is relatively good." The first round of negotiations between Steve Wietkoff, the U.S. President's special envoy, and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi took place on Saturday in the capital of Oman, and officials from both countries described it as positive and constructive. Both sides have also stated that the next round of negotiations will be held next Saturday. CNN reports that the next meeting between Iran and the U.S. will likely take place next week in Europe. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday, "We are discussing whether the next round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S. will be in Oman or elsewhere, but the important thing is that Oman will continue to play this mediating role." Ismail Baqai stated in a television interview on Sunday regarding the next round of negotiations that "the negotiations will continue to be indirect and hosted by Oman... the framework of the negotiations will continue as it has been." The overall stock index and the Iranian currency market reacted positively to these negotiations, and on Saturday evening, the value of the rial against the U.S. dollar strengthened somewhat. Several regional countries have welcomed the Oman negotiations. According to a White House statement, Steve Wietkoff was accompanied in the negotiations on Saturday by Anna Scroggins, the U.S. ambassador to Oman; the Iranian delegation included Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Kazem Gharibabadi, and Ismail Baqai, deputies of Abbas Araqchi, as well as several experts from the ministry. The White House announced in a statement that the negotiations on Saturday were "very positive and constructive." The statement noted that Steve Wietkoff emphasized to Abbas Araqchi that he has a "mission from the President of the United States to resolve differences between the two countries through dialogue and diplomacy if possible." The White House also stressed that "the issues are very complex" and added, "Today’s direct conversation by Wietkoff was a step forward towards achieving a beneficial outcome for both sides." The United States also deeply appreciated the support of the Sultanate of Oman in these negotiations. Abbas Araqchi also described the two and a half hours of "indirect negotiations" on Saturday as constructive. He said, "As the first session, it was a constructive meeting conducted in a calm and very respectful environment. No inappropriate language was used." Araqchi also mentioned that the Iranian and American delegations had a "few minutes" of discussion upon leaving, which was "acceptable" and "not extraordinary." Several other Iranian officials also evaluated the negotiations on Saturday positively, including Mohammad Jafar Qaimpanah, the executive deputy of Masoud Pezeshkian, who wrote on social media that it "went well" and that "the negotiation process has been satisfactory." The negotiations were held behind closed doors, and not much detail has been disclosed about the topics discussed. According to the Wall Street Journal, following these negotiations, Tehran may be prepared to return to the uranium enrichment levels set in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The newspaper quoted Iranian officials as saying that in exchange for this action, the Islamic Republic is demanding a reduction in U.S. sanctions, the restoration of access to frozen foreign assets, and the cessation of pressure on Chinese buyers of Iranian oil. Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, citing informed officials, Steve Wietkoff, the U.S. special envoy who met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday in Oman, did not ask Iran to completely halt uranium enrichment. The mentioned officials stated that these discussions in Oman were "extensive and aimed at maintaining dialogue." According to the report, Wietkoff, who led the U.S. delegation, did not demand a complete halt to uranium enrichment by the Islamic Republic, and the main focus of the negotiations was "to ensure that Iran does not divert existing materials towards nuclear weapons production." The New York Times noted that the first round of talks proceeded in a way that was expected for Iran and helped achieve key objectives to advance negotiations to the next level; the focus remained on the nuclear program. Furthermore, there was no mention of dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities or its regional policies related to groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis during the negotiations. After the talks, Abbas Araqchi told Islamic Republic TV that on Saturday, "both sides demonstrated their commitment to advancing these discussions towards reaching an agreement that is desirable for both parties and conducted from an equal position." He noted that the topic of the next round of negotiations would focus on "the general frameworks of the agreement," stating that the American side desires an agreement to be reached in the shortest time possible. Both Iranian and American officials have confirmed that the next round of negotiations is scheduled for next Saturday, April 30, but the location of the next round has not yet been announced. Abbas Araqchi stated before leaving Oman that the next round of negotiations "will probably not be here, although Oman will host it, but it may be elsewhere." The Iranian Foreign Minister also mentioned that the special envoy of Mr. Trump in these negotiations aims to achieve the general framework of an agreement "in the shortest time." The Omani Foreign Minister, the host of the negotiations, described the atmosphere of the discussions on Saturday as "a friendly space suitable for bringing views closer together." Arab countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, welcomed the first round of U.S.-Iran negotiations in the capital of Oman. The foreign ministries of these countries emphasized through statements or notes on social media that they support the dialogue approach to ending regional and international disputes and hope that the results of these negotiations will contribute to strengthening security and stability. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also welcomed these negotiations, expressing hope that these discussions would lead to calming the situation and establishing a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza. Jassim Al-Budaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also welcomed these negotiations, expressing hope that these constructive dialogues would yield positive results and help open new horizons in cooperation between Iran and the U.S. for the sake of regional security and stability. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's representative to international organizations based in Vienna, noted on his Telegram channel regarding the Iran-U.S. negotiations in Oman that both the Iranians and Americans described the talks as positive and constructive, which is encouraging.