Talks with US set to continue after good beginning, Iran's Foreign Minister says
India Today
Iran said nuclear talks with the US, mediated by Oman, began positively, but warned progress depends on avoiding pressure, as Washington pushes to widen negotiations and ramps up economic sanctions.
Iran's top diplomat said on Friday that nuclear talks with the US mediated by Oman were off to a “good start” and set to continue, in remarks that could help allay concern that failure to reach a deal might nudge the Middle East closer to war.
But Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said after the talks in the Omani capital Muscat, which involved him, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, that "any dialogue requires refraining from threats and pressure. (Tehran) only discusses its nuclear issue ... We do not discuss any other issue with the US."
While both sides have indicated readiness to revive diplomacy over Tehran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Washington wanted to expand the talks to cover Iran's ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and "treatment of their own people," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.
A regional diplomat briefed by Tehran on the talks told Reuters Iran insisted on its "right to enrich uranium" during the negotiations with the US, adding that Tehran's missile capabilities were not raised in the discussions.
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Iran said nuclear talks with the US, mediated by Oman, began positively, but warned progress depends on avoiding pressure, as Washington pushes to widen negotiations and ramps up economic sanctions.
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