OMAN – The fourth US-Iran indirect talks happened today, Sunday, in Muscat, Oman. High-level diplomatic discussions, attended by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and Middle East special envoy, lasted more than three hours and included both direct and indirect exchanges, according to a senior US official quoted by US media outlets.
Oman has been the mediator.
“We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future,” the official said, adding that the two sides agreed to continue talks to work through technical elements.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei also confirmed the conclusion of the talks, describing them as “difficult but useful.”
“The fourth round of indirect Iran-U.S. negotiations is concluded; difficult but useful talks to better understand each other’s positions and to find reasonable & realistic ways to address the differences,” Baqaei said in a statement on X.
How the US-Iran Talks Started
US President Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew his country from the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, sent a letter to Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in March calling for direct nuclear talks with Iran and including threats.
Iran responded to the letter via Oman.
Following the letter traffic, Tehran and Washington first held indirect talks in Oman on April 12, then in Rome and again in Oman, one week apart.
How the US-Iran Talks are Going
Both Tehran and Washington reported that progress was being made in the talks.
Iran wants sanctions to be lifted in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program that will prevent it from producing an atomic bomb.
US officials, who have previously said they would accept Tehran’s low-level uranium enrichment, have recently stated that they are demanding that Iran stop all levels of uranium enrichment.
Witkoff said in an interview that Iran should never have a uranium enrichment program and that this is a “red line” for the US.
Tehran’s Take on Latest Round of Talks in Muscat
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the fourth round of “indirect” nuclear negotiations with the US as “more serious and frank” compared to the past three rounds.
Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of the latest round of talks in Muscat on Sunday, he said the two sides moved away from general discussions and entered into more specific details in this round.
He noted that there were more discussions on contentious issues this time, assessing the fourth round of talks as “a step forward.”
He also informed that the next round of negotiations, mediated by Oman, will likely take place next week, indicating that the process is going to continue.
