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Analysis

Economic pressure, B-2 bombers and isolation: How Iran accepted talks with Trump

Under severe economic strains and growing military threats from the United States, Iran agreed to negotiate its nuclear program, but the talks' potential outcomes remain shrouded by deep uncertainties.

Iran
A demonstrator holds a framed picture depicting (L to R) Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; late Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah who was killed by an Israeli air strike on September 27, 2024; and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani who was killed by a US drone strike in January 2020; during an anti-Israel protest in Tehran's Palestine Square on September 28, 2024. — ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has now confirmed that "indirect talks" between his country and the United States will take place in Oman on Saturday. 

Araghchi's post on X followed the initial announcement by President Donald Trump during a media briefing alongside the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Later on Tuesday, the Iranian top diplomat emphasized that the talks will be strictly indirect, in accordance with Tehran's long-standing position that direct negotiations with Washington are unacceptable. 

Araghchi, however, acknowledged that the format was not the primary concern, and noted that the crucial factor is the "effectiveness and seriousness" of both parties in reaching a meaningful agreement.

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