The negotiations took place on February 26, with the USA represented by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, appointed by Donald Trump, and Iran by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The discussions lasted several hours and consisted of morning and evening sessions.
At the end of the morning meeting, an Axios source reported Witkoff and Kushner's disappointment. However, after the evening session, a senior U.S. official noted that the negotiations had gone "positively," without providing further details.
During the morning session, the Iranian side presented its draft nuclear agreement. As a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera, Tehran is ready to suspend uranium enrichment for a certain period; however, a complete cessation of enrichment, dismantling of nuclear facilities, and transfer of uranium stocks are not part of its plans. The proposal includes reducing uranium stocks to low-enriched levels under the supervision of the IAEA.
A CNN source from Iran confirmed that the country does not intend to develop nuclear weapons; however, any agreement is only possible on the condition that all U.S. sanctions and UN Security Council resolutions are lifted. It is also noted that no nuclear facility will be destroyed, and Iran will focus on peaceful nuclear energy.
The mediator in the negotiations, Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, stated that the parties have made "significant progress." He added that further negotiations will continue after consultations in Washington and Tehran.
According to Abbas Araghchi, head of the Iranian delegation, these negotiations have become "the most serious and lengthy" in recent times.
These negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of rising tensions between the USA and Iran. The Trump administration views these talks as the last opportunity for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict before Trump makes a decision regarding possible military intervention against Iran, Axios reports.
