First US-Iran talks in years seen as 'positive' as hard-liners cry treason
While the Iranian foreign minister struck a positive note after the Oman meeting, he had to face a barrage of ferocious criticism from the country's hard-line camp for engaging with "the Great Satan."
TEHRAN — Iran and the United States wrapped up the first round of their talks aimed at resolving the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program at a meeting hosted by the Omani government in Muscat on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian delegation and the American side was represented by Steve Witkoff, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump and his special envoy to the Middle East.
In an interview with Iranian state TV Saturday evening, Araghchi described the indirect talks as "constructive." The 150-minute discussions saw his Omani counterpart — Badr bin Hamad Al Busaid — exchange messages "at least four times" between the two separate rooms where the delegations were sitting, according to the Iranian minister.
The meeting followed weeks of escalating rhetoric between the two sides, along with a buildup of US military reinforcements in the Middle East — widely seen as preparation for a potential strike should Iran refuse to negotiate over its nuclear program.
