TEHRAN: Iran mentioned on Friday (Apr 11) it was giving diplomacy a “real” probability in nuclear talks with the USA regardless of mounting stress from Washington, setting the stage for a showdown in Oman this weekend.
Longtime adversaries Iran and the USA are set to carry talks on Saturday in Muscat, geared toward reaching a possible nuclear deal. President Donald Trump on Monday made a shock announcement that his administration would open negotiations with Iran.
Within the lead-up to Saturday talks, the longtime adversaries have engaged in a confrontation that noticed Trump threaten navy motion if the discussions fail.
Responding to Trump’s menace, an aide to supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned Iran might expel UN nuclear inspectors, prompting in flip a US warning that such motion can be an “escalation”.
On Friday, overseas ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei mentioned Iran was “giving diplomacy a real probability in good religion and full vigilance”.
“America ought to recognize this determination, which was made regardless of their hostile rhetoric,” Baqaei mentioned in a put up on X.
Saturday’s talks come after Trump despatched a letter final month to Khamenei, urging negotiations and warning of doable navy motion if Tehran refuses.
Tehran responded weeks later, saying it was open to oblique negotiations and dismissed the potential of direct talks so long as the USA maintains its “most stress” coverage.
Trump mentioned the talks can be “direct” however Iran’s Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi has insisted they might be “oblique”.
Araghchi and US particular envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the talks.
Forward of the deliberate assembly, Washington continued its “most stress” coverage of sanctions on Iran, most just lately focusing on its oil community and nuclear programme.
THREATS
On Wednesday, Trump mentioned navy motion in opposition to Iran was “completely” doable if talks failed to provide a deal.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Khamenei, later warned such threats might immediate measures together with the expulsion of UN nuclear watchdog inspectors from Iran.
He additional mentioned that Iran would possibly think about transferring “enriched supplies to safe areas”, referring to the nation’s uranium enrichment.
Washington responded by saying the menace was “inconsistent with Iran’s claims of a peaceable nuclear programme” and that expelling UN nuclear inspectors can be “an escalation and a miscalculation on Iran’s half.”
Iran has persistently denied searching for to amass nuclear weapons.
Tehran has lengthy been cautious about partaking in talks with Washington, usually citing earlier expertise and undermined belief.
Throughout his first time period, Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sweeping financial sanctions.
Tehran adhered to the 2015 deal for a yr after Washington withdrew from it, however later started rolling again its personal commitments.
Baqaei mentioned Iran will “neither prejudge nor predict” forward of Saturday’s talks in Oman, a long-established venue for Iranian talks.
“We intend to evaluate the intentions and seriousness of the opposite aspect on Saturday and alter our subsequent strikes accordingly,” mentioned Baqaei.
