‘Significant progress’ in US-Iran nuclear talks

The United States and Iran have made significant progress in talks held on Thursday to resolve the long-running nuclear dispute and avert a new US attack, the mediating country Oman said. The talks are particularly important in light of the large US military gathering in the Middle East.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said in a post on social media X after the meeting in Switzerland that the two sides would soon meet again after consultations in their respective capitals. Technical-level talks are also scheduled to take place in Vienna next week.

A possible agreement between Washington and Tehran could reduce the risk of a potential attack threatened by US President Donald Trump — which many say could even lead to a larger war.

The Omani minister's hopeful remarks came after indirect talks in Geneva between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. One session was held in the morning and another in the afternoon.

"We ended today with important progress in the talks between the United States and Iran," al-Busaidy said.

"We agreed on some issues, but there are still differences," Araghchi told Iranian state television. "The next round of talks will be held in less than a week, and Iran has clearly demanded the lifting of sanctions."

There was no immediate comment from the US delegation on the outcome of the talks.

The talks, which have been locked in a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear program, come at a time when fears of a wider conflict are growing in the Middle East. Trump has threatened to take action if no deal is reached, and the US has massed military forces in waters near Iran.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that a framework agreement could be reached if Washington separates nuclear and non-nuclear issues. The Trump administration, on the other hand, says Iran’s missile program and other issues must also be part of the talks.

After the morning session, al-Busaidy said the two sides had exchanged “creative and positive ideas.” However, a senior Iranian official said some gaps still need to be closed.

Washington accuses Tehran of wanting to build a nuclear bomb. So it wants Iran to completely stop its uranium enrichment program. This process produces fuel for nuclear power plants, but at the same time it can provide material for weapons.

Iran has always denied accusations of developing nuclear weapons and has said it will show flexibility in Thursday’s talks. A Reuters report said Tehran has offered new concessions in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and recognition of its right to enrich uranium.

But the United States wants the talks to be expanded to include Iran's ballistic missile arsenal and its support for regional armed groups.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Iran's refusal to negotiate over its missile program is a "major problem" and must be resolved eventually. According to him, these missiles are "primarily aimed at America" ​​and a threat to regional stability.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Press TV that the talks would be limited to the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions. He said Tehran was participating in the talks with "seriousness and flexibility".

Source - Al Arabiya