Washington stated that it will continue to act against Iran and its partners as long as Tehran circumvents existing sanctions and directs funds from oil sales to finance repression and terrorist activities.
The negotiations that took place on Friday concluded with an agreement to hold the next round after consultations with the relevant capitals. While both delegations approached the outcomes of the meetings with cautious optimism, no official comments have yet been issued from Washington.
The Iranian side was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the U.S. was represented by Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. An important point is that the negotiations were mediated by Oman, and representatives of the two countries did not meet face to face.
The meetings took place at the residence of Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who acted as a mediator and conveyed messages between the delegations. Albusaidi noted that the negotiations were "very serious" and aimed at laying the groundwork for the resumption of diplomatic and technical dialogue, rather than for an immediate nuclear agreement.
Araghchi emphasized that the discussions were exclusively about the nuclear program and should take place in a calm atmosphere, without pressure and threats. For its part, the U.S. stresses the need to include issues regarding Tehran's support for armed groups and its ballistic missile program in the agenda.
Previously, the IAEA noted that Iran is the only country enriching uranium to 60% purity without possessing nuclear weapons. Tehran refuses to allow agency inspectors access to sites affected during the conflict with Israel in June, raising concerns among international security experts.
