Dubai, April 12 (V7N) – Iran has announced that it is seriously preparing for nuclear talks with the United States, which are set to begin on Saturday in Oman. The statement came just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if talks failed, Iran would face military action.
 
Trump, who returned to office in January, revealed on March 30 that discussions between Washington and Tehran would resume. The talks will take place in Oman, a country that has often acted as a neutral ground for both sides.
 
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it is entering the discussions with caution but is genuinely committed to diplomacy. “We intend to assess the other side’s intent and resolve this Saturday,” said ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter). He added that Iran is giving talks “a genuine chance” despite what it described as a hostile attitude from Washington.
 
Tensions have increased in the Middle East in recent months. Israel has launched widespread military operations following attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023. Iran, which supports Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, has come under pressure from these operations and from U.S. air strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are also backed by Tehran.
 
Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said that Iran is coming to the table with “important and practical” proposals aimed at reaching a “real and fair” deal. He urged the U.S. to approach the talks with honest intentions.
 
Under a 2015 deal with world powers, Iran had agreed to limit its nuclear activities in return for relief from international sanctions. But in 2018, Trump pulled the U.S. out of that agreement, calling it flawed. Since then, Iran has increased its uranium enrichment, moving closer to levels that could be used to make nuclear weapons. Iran says its program is for peaceful energy use only, but the West remains skeptical.
 
There has been confusion over how the upcoming talks will be held. While Trump said they would be direct negotiations, Iran insists the talks will be indirect, with Oman acting as a mediator. Iranian state media reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would lead the talks for Iran, while U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff would represent Washington. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi will serve as the go-between.
 
Previous indirect talks during the Biden administration saw little progress. The last known direct discussions between the U.S. and Iran were during Barack Obama’s presidency.
 
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