Tehran announced that indirect nuclear agreement talks between Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi and Trump’s Special Middle East Envoy Witkoff have commenced in Oman.

Indirect negotiations between Iran and the USA have started in Oman. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ismail Bekayi shared on social media, “Indirect talks between Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi and US President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff have begun with the mediation of Oman’s Foreign Minister Bedr el-Busaidi.” Bekayi mentioned that separate rooms were allocated for Iranian and American delegations during the talks and that Oman’s Foreign Minister Busaidi would convey messages between the two sides.

PROCESS BEGAN WITH A LETTER President Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew the USA from the nuclear deal in 2018, sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month calling for direct nuclear negotiations. In response, Iran, through Oman, stated that they would not negotiate directly under threat and pressure but were only ready for indirect talks. President Trump, during a meeting at the White House on April 7 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, announced that “direct” talks would take place between Iran and the USA on Saturday. Trump argued that “if no agreement is reached, Iran will be in great danger.” On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi stated that talks between Iran and the USA would be held “indirectly” in Oman on April 12. In the negotiations, Foreign Minister Arakchi leads the Iranian delegation, while Trump’s Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff represents the USA.