US and Iran Nuclear Issue: The US and Iran have started indirect talks in Oman, hoping to reduce rising tensions and avoid military conflict. These talks began on Saturday, April 12, and this is the first diplomatic move between the 2 countries under US President Donald Trump’s current term. They are not speaking to each other directly. Instead, the discussions are happening through Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who is passing messages back and forth between the two sides.
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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is leading the Iranian team. From the American side, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is taking part. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, confirmed this in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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Top diplomats of #Iran, #Oman meet in Muscat
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas @Araghchi, who has traveled to Muscat at the head of a delegation to participate in indirect talks with the US regarding nuclear issues and the lifting of unjust and illegal… pic.twitter.com/kaC7qPxE7q
— Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) April 12, 2025
The main goals of these talks are to calm down the situation in the region, talk about the release of prisoners, and maybe agree on easing some sanctions in return for Iran slowing down its nuclear work.
A senior Omani source said these were the issues being discussed. Iran has been increasing its uranium enrichment, which many countries see as a dangerous step. However, Iran says it is only doing this for peaceful purposes.
Before the talks began, Araqchi had a private meeting with Oman’s foreign minister in Muscat to explain Iran’s position. Iran is being very careful in this process. They are still unsure if the US really wants to make a fair deal.
Araqchi told Iranian state TV, “There is a chance for initial understanding on further negotiations if the other party (U.S.) enters the talks with an equal stance.” He also said, “This is the first meeting, and in it, many fundamental and initial issues will be clarified, including, whether there is sufficient will on both sides, then we will make a decision on a timeline.”
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One senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has given Araqchi full control over the talks. This shows how important the negotiations are for Iran. If the talks fail, there is a big risk of more fighting in the region. Since 2023, the Middle East has already seen a lot of violence, including war in Gaza and Lebanon, missile attacks between Iran and Israel, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and the fall of Syria’s leader Bashar al-Assad.
Iran’s nuclear programme
The biggest issue between the two countries remains Iran’s nuclear programme. The US and Israel believe Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies this and says it only wants nuclear energy. Since Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and brought back tough sanctions earlier this year, tensions have only grown worse. Israel sees Iran’s nuclear plans as a major threat and has said it will use military force if talks fail.
Another difficult topic is Iran’s missile programme. Iran says it will not talk about its defense or missile systems. This firm position may become one of the hardest problems to solve during the talks.
