Iran and U.S. envoys launch direct nuclear talks after years of silence

MUSCAT, Oman. In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, Iran and the United States held their first direct conversation in years on Saturday, launching a new round of negotiations over Tehran’s accelerating nuclear program. The talks, held in the outskirts of Muscat, Oman, mark the first official engagement between the two nations since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Iranian state television confirmed that U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly spoke” face-to-face. This rare and symbolic exchange hasn’t occurred since the Obama administration. The encounter, described by both sides as “constructive,” suggests a cautious optimism surrounding the highly sensitive issue of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

In a statement issued Saturday afternoon, the White House said the discussions were “very positive and constructive,” but acknowledged the complexity of the issues at hand:

“Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.”

According to both American and Iranian officials, the next round of talks is scheduled for Saturday, April 19.

The talks began at around 3:30 p.m. local time and lasted just over two hours. They concluded by 5:50 p.m., with the U.S. convoy seen returning to central Muscat and later disappearing into traffic near the U.S. Embassy.

The stakes are especially high. President Trump has openly threatened military action should Iran fail to comply with nuclear limitations. On the other side, Iranian officials have warned they might pursue nuclear weapons, given their current stockpile of enriched uranium — some of it nearing weapons-grade levels.

In a social media post during the meeting, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei confirmed that the “indirect talks” had commenced. Iranian state television later aired a summary of the event, with Araghchi stating:

“Neither we nor the other side are interested in fruitless negotiations — so-called ‘talks for the sake of talks,’ wasting time, or drawn-out, exhausting negotiations. Both sides, including the Americans, have said that their goal is also to reach an agreement in the shortest possible time. However, that will certainly not be an easy task.”

While Araghchi characterized the exchange as “a brief initial conversation, greetings and polite exchanges,” the fact that the two sides met in person at all was considered a win for Washington. Trump and Witkoff had both emphasized the importance of “direct” dialogue.

Speaking before his trip, Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal:

“I think our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today. That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries.”

He further added:

“Where our red line will be, there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability.”

The meeting was facilitated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who played the role of shuttle diplomat between the two delegations. Al-Busaidi later posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“I would like to thank my two colleagues for this engagement, which took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability. We will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal.”

A key sticking point remains the level of uranium enrichment that Iran is allowed to maintain. Under the now defunct 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was limited to enriching uranium to 3.67% — far from weapons-grade. Today, Iran holds uranium enriched up to 60%, and its stockpile could theoretically yield multiple nuclear weapons.

Iran is expected to demand the right to continue enriching uranium to at least 20%, while the U.S. may offer sanctions relief in return for meaningful constraints. However, Tehran is unlikely to give up its program entirely, a fact that makes proposals such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “Libyan model” suggestion unviable.

Netanyahu had previously floated the idea of a total dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities under U.S. military oversight:

“You go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution.”

But this scenario is a red line for Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other Iranian officials have cited the fate of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who disarmed and was later killed in the 2011 uprising, as a cautionary tale about trusting the United States.

As the world watches these developments closely, next week’s scheduled talks may determine whether decades of enmity can finally yield a durable agreement or if the nuclear standoff will escalate further.