Over the weekend, Iran confirmed that it had held indirect talks with the United States in the country of Oman. These talks were not face-to-face. Instead, messages were passed back and forth through other people acting as go-betweens. The main topic of the discussion was Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of American sanctions.
Iran made it very clear that the conversations were only about these two issues. Officials said they were not talking about anything else, like regional conflicts or security matters. They focused only on the future of Iran’s nuclear activities and how the U.S. sanctions have been affecting the country.
An Iranian spokesperson said that their goal is to protect the country’s right to use nuclear power peacefully. He also said that Iran still wants to follow the rules of international nuclear agreements, but without giving up its own rights.
Protecting Nuclear Rights
Iran stated that its main goal in these talks is to get rid of the heavy sanctions that the United States put back in place after pulling out of a big international agreement. That agreement was made in 2015 and included six world powers. Back then, Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear activities, and in return, the other countries agreed to lift certain sanctions that were hurting Iran’s economy.
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But in 2018, the U.S. left the deal and reimposed those sanctions. After that, Iran also reduced its commitment to the agreement. Since then, many efforts have been made to bring both sides back to the original deal, but no major progress has been made.
During the recent talks, Iran’s representative said that the country wants to keep all the parts of its nuclear program that it has worked hard to build. This includes machines and materials that are used to create nuclear energy. Iran says these are for peaceful use only, not for making weapons.
The Iranian side also stressed that it wants to work with international agencies to prove that it is not trying to build nuclear bombs. It says that as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and to be treated fairly by other countries.
Calm Atmosphere, More Talks Ahead
The first round of these indirect talks took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman. According to people who were involved, the talks went smoothly. They said the atmosphere was calm and respectful. No one used rude language, and both sides showed that they wanted to keep talking.
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Even though the U.S. and Iran did not meet face-to-face, the fact that they are willing to talk—even indirectly—was seen as a small but important step. Both countries said they were serious about finding a way forward.
A second round of talks is expected to take place soon, possibly in a new location. These follow earlier signs that both countries were open to talking again. In March, the U.S. president had sent a message to Iran through the United Arab Emirates, suggesting that they start nuclear talks. Iran later said that it had received the message and was willing to talk, as long as it focused on its nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions.
For now, the talks in Oman have remained limited in scope. Iran has made it clear that it will not expand the conversation to other topics. The only issues on the table are its nuclear activities and the harsh sanctions that have deeply affected its economy.
While the meetings have just begun, Iran says it is committed to using legal and diplomatic ways to protect its rights. It continues to say that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and that it is open to cooperation with global watchdogs to prove that.
