An Iranian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is now in Oman’s capital, Muscat, for indirect negotiations with the United States.
Araqchi is accompanied by his deputies Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi, as well as Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, among other negotiators. The Iranian delegation arrived in Muscat on Saturday morning.
“We are heading to Muscat with a group of our most experienced colleagues, accompanied by the esteemed Minister of Foreign Affairs,” Baqaei wrote in a post on his X account as the delegates headed for Oman.
“We are determined to use all capacities to protect the authority and national interests of Iran,” he added.
The U.S. delegation is led by President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The Iranian and American sides are set to hold indirect negotiations toward reaching a nuclear deal. Tehran rejected Washington’s proposal for direct negotiations over Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign and threats of military action against Iran.
Trump withdrew from a previous, multinational deal with Iran in 2018.
Baqaei said on Friday that the Islamic Republic seeks to evaluate the “intent and resolve” of the United States during the talks in Oman and will respond accordingly. He said Iran is giving diplomacy “a genuine chance” by taking part in the indirect negotiations, and that the U.S. should value that decision.
Meanwhile, Takht-e-Ravanchi, who is deputy foreign minister for political affairs, said there is “a good chance” of reaching an agreement if the United States stops making excessive demands and issuing threats. “If the American side refrains from bringing up unrelated issues and demands, and abandons threats and intimidation, there is a good chance of reaching an agreement,” Takht-e-Ravanchi said on Friday.
