Delegations from Iran and the US will meet again this week after closing out “constructive” nuclear talks yesterday, including first direct contact between the Trump administration and Iranian officials.
Consultations held in Oman’s Gulf countries backed up President Donald Trump’s fiery rhetoric towards Tehran, raising fears that the conflict could deepen in the Middle East.
Trump has given Tehran a two-month deadline to accept a deal that would threaten Iran with bombing if he doesn’t agree to the new nuclear deal, and that would either reduce its nuclear footprint or eliminate the program entirely.
So far, each side has publicly projected optimism.
After yesterday’s lecture, this is where things stand:
What the US said: The White House spoke about “direct communication” between Trump’s Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkov and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araguchi as a step in the right direction.
What Iran said: Araguchi similarly stated that the first round of negotiations was “very close” to reaching the negotiation framework, and also stated the discussion as “constructive.”
“The atmosphere at the meeting today was enough to ensure continuity and progress,” Araguchi told state broadcaster Ilibu. He described the brief parting interaction with Witkov, whom the two spoke in person as a comfortable form.
Both will meet again: Iranian and US officials said they will meet again on Saturday to resume debate. The meeting is likely to take place in Europe, a source familiar with the plan told CNN.
A little insight into the timeline: A source familiar with the conference tells CNN that he has a belief that the Trump administration wants to move faster, and Witkoff wants to make a political decision to make a deal in the light of the environment, without diving into the very technical details that could slow things down.