Iran has confirmed President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement that it would undertake discussions with the United States regarding its nuclear program.
Late on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on social media that Saturday would be the date of “indirect” negotiations. Later, Iranian state media said that Oman would serve as a mediator between Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the US envoy to the Middle East.
Trump had earlier declared the beginning of “direct” discussions while continuing to use bellicose rhetoric that implied the US might launch an assault on Iran. Earlier, Tehran had rejected Washington’s requests for the negotiations.
Direct negotiations between Iran and the United States have begun. It is scheduled for Saturday. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters at the White House on Monday, “We have a very big meeting, and we will see what can happen.”
Without giving any further information, he continued, “And I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable.”
Trump also asserted that Tehran “can not have nuclear weapons” and warned that if diplomatic attempts to stop Iran’s nuclear aspirations failed, the country would be in “great danger.”
Trump stated to NBC News earlier this month that “there will be bombing if they [Iran] do not make a deal.”
The bombing will be “the likes of which they have never seen before,” he continued.
According to Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst for Al Jazeera, Netanyahu would not be pleased with Trump’s offer of direct negotiations with Tehran because the Israeli leader has long desired to just destroy Iran.
“Trump has long sought a deal,” Bishara stated. But Netanyahu is adamant that the Israeli airstrikes on Iran last year have undermined Iran’s defenses. And he believes that Israel has a fantastic chance to eliminate Iran with US assistance.
“Truly, Trump is engaged in trade wars with the rest of the world and does not want to get involved in another conflict with Iran,” Bishara continued.
‘Meaningless talks’
In a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, last month, Trump expressed his desire that the two nations will engage in negotiations.
Araghchi had called the idea of direct negotiations “meaningless” over the weekend.
Tehran, which insists it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon, has previously stated that it is amenable to indirect diplomacy but has rebuffed Washington’s attempt to engage in direct talks.
Badr Albusaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, will mediate the negotiations, according to a report in Iranian media on Tuesday. For a long time, Oman served as a conduit for information between the US and Iran.
The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and international powers, which imposed stringent restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear operations in return for the lifting of sanctions, was also signed with its help. In 2018, Trump pulled out of that agreement.
