In a rare diplomatic breakthrough, the United States and Iran concluded a cautiously optimistic round of nuclear talks in Oman on Saturday (April 12), marking the highest-level engagement between the two countries since 2018.
Negotiators from the two nations have not met face-to-face since 2018, when President Trump pulled out of the 2015 accord between Iran and world powers during his first term as US president. The 2015 deal was struck between Iran and six countries — the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, with the European Union playing the role of intermediary.
The meeting in Muscat, described by both sides as “constructive,” hinted at pragmatic intentions and a narrowing of objectives—factors that could enhance the prospects for a new deal, despite significant political resistance at home and abroad.
The rare negotiations followed an exchange of letters in which President Trump urged talks and warned of possible military action, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei signaled openness to measures preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Dialogue after years of hostility
The initial session, which included a brief moment of direct dialogue between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, was held in Muscat under the mediation of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi. While formally indirect, the encounter marked a significant thaw following years of heightened hostilities, economic sanctions, and threats of military escalation.
Al Busaidi said on X that Iran and the US will begin a process aimed at reaching a “fair and binding” agreement following the meeting.
“This is as good a start as it gets,” said Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director for the International Crisis Group. “They could have stumbled, but they agreed to meet again, they met together at the end and they agreed on the ultimate objective.”
That objective—ensuring Iran is permanently barred from developing nuclear weapons—represents a notable recalibration of American expectations. In contrast to previous maximalist demands for Iran to dismantle its entire nuclear and missile programs, the Trump administration has signaled its willingness to focus narrowly on the nuclear issue.
President Donald Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One en route to a UFC event in Miami, said the negotiations are “going okay,” adding, “Nothing matters until you get it done.
Iran says talks to only focus on nuclear issue and lifting of sanctions
Iran has made clear that it will only engage on the nuclear file and the lifting of sanctions, firmly rejecting any attempts to expand the scope of talks to include its missile program or regional activities. “Negotiations will continue to be indirect,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated, underscoring the limited scope. “We will not have any talks with the American side on any other issue.”
Analysts say that this alignment of narrowed objectives could enhance the chances of a deal. “If it’s no weapon, then they can negotiate on levels of enrichment, inspections and so on,” said Vali Nasr, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. “What Iran wants is pretty clear: credible sanction relief and a deal that sticks.”
Diplomacy, Deadlines, and Domestic constraints
The urgency for both sides is unmistakable. Iran’s economy remains crippled by sweeping U.S. sanctions, its regional proxies—particularly Hezbollah and Hamas—have suffered under Israeli pressure, and its domestic stability is increasingly tenuous. Meanwhile, President Trump has publicly imposed a two-month deadline for Iran to accept a deal, warning of possible military strikes if talks fail.
“I want them not to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters. “I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Despite the U.S. administration’s hardline posturing, Witkoff emphasized diplomacy. “This is not a threat,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s the president who has that authority.” According to the White House, Witkoff told Araghchi he was operating under direct instructions from Trump to resolve differences “through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible.”
Israel’s shadow over the negotiations
The talks unfolded against the backdrop of growing Israeli unease. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly caught off guard by Trump’s announcement of the negotiations and has warned that if talks stall, Israel may take unilateral military action.
“If the nuclear talks drag on, we may strike Iran anyway,” Netanyahu said upon returning from his U.S. visit. U.S. officials have acknowledged Israel’s central role in the pressure campaign against Tehran, with Witkoff crediting Israeli strikes for having “eviscerated” Iran’s defensive posture.
Nonetheless, Israel’s preference for military deterrence over diplomacy remains a potential spoiler for any emerging deal. Hard-liners in both Washington and Tehran are also likely to resist concessions, complicating the path ahead.
What’s next?
Another round of talks is scheduled for April 19 in Oman. Both sides have expressed a desire to expedite the process, though the road to a comprehensive agreement remains uncertain.
The Iranian media response has been cautiously upbeat, with both reformist and conservative outlets calling the meeting a “decisive turning point.” However, skepticism remains. The hardline Kayhan newspaper criticized Tehran’s lack of a contingency strategy, warning there is still “no clear prospect for an agreement with Donald Trump.”
In a statement summarizing the mood of the Muscat meeting, Omani Foreign Minister Al Busaidi wrote that Iran and the U.S. had taken “a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” and will continue working toward a “fair and binding” agreement.
As both nations prepare for the next round of diplomacy, the stakes could not be higher. With military threats lingering and regional instability intensifying, the coming weeks may prove pivotal in determining whether diplomacy can once again avert conflict in the Middle East.