TEHERAN/CAIRO – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday described the recent nuclear talks between his country and the United States as “a step forward.”
He made the comments in a post on X, highlighting the indirect negotiations between Iranian and US delegations in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on Friday.
Pezeshkian said that the discussions took place as a result of the follow-up efforts by “friendly” governments in the West Asia region, emphasizing that dialogue has consistently been Iran’s chosen strategy for resolving issues peacefully.
Meanwhile, speaking at a national conference in the Iranian capital Teheran, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who headed the country’s delegation at Friday’s talks, said, “No one can tell us what to have and what not to have.”
He assured that Iran has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, while firmly rejecting any form of bullying.
Araghchi said: “If they speak to Iranian people using the language of force, we will respond to them with the same language. However, if they talk to us using the language of respect, their response will be given with the same language.”
The Friday talks were held amid heightened regional tensions between Washington and Teheran, including a recent US military buildup in the Middle East and Iran’s stepped-up preparations.
After the conclusion of negotiations, Araghchi said: “In general, I can say that it was a good start. However, the continuation of the process depends on the two sides’ consultations in their capitals and their decisions about how to continue it.”
After concluding the talks with Steve Witkoff, US President Trump’s special envoy, Araghchi traveled to Doha, where he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Qatari media reported.
Iran’s military chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, struck a more confrontational tone, warning that any attempt to impose war on Iran would spread conflict across the Middle East. Iran would not initiate a war, he said, but would respond “decisively” to defend its sovereignty.
Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, described the Oman talks as “very good,” saying Iran “looks like it wants to make a deal very badly.” He said the sides would meet again early next week.
On Friday, Trump also signed an executive order threatening additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran. While the order does not specify a tariff rate, it cites 25 percent as an example and says the measure could apply to goods imported into the United States from any country that “directly or indirectly” purchases goods or services from Iran.
Israel is watching the negotiations closely. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that he would travel to Washington later this week to discuss the talks with Trump. Netanyahu believes any agreement must include limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for allied militant groups, the statement said.
Earlier this week and ahead of the Muscat meeting, Witkoff visited Israel for consultations, during which Netanyahu said Iran had “repeatedly demonstrated it cannot be trusted to keep its promises.”
Regional reactions were cautiously supportive. Egypt and the United Arab Emirates welcomed the talks as a constructive step toward dialogue and de-escalation.
Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, praised Oman’s role in hosting the negotiations and reaffirmed Cairo’s support for a negotiated settlement of the nuclear issue. The Emirati foreign ministry said Oman’s mediation had helped create conditions conducive to dialogue and expressed hope for outcomes that would enhance regional security.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also welcomed the talks, voicing hope they would open a diplomatic path to ease tensions and promote regional stability.
“The region is burdened by multiple crises, and finding a diplomatic solution between the United States and Iran is essential for achieving peace and stability,” he said during a press conference on Friday.
Qatar’s foreign minister, during his Saturday meeting with Araghchi in Doha, voiced hope that the negotiations would lead to a comprehensive agreement that strengthens stability and security across the region, according to a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.