Muscat: Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, reported that discussions between the United States and Iran were conducted in a cordial environment in Muscat on Saturday.
In a tweet, the foreign minister expressed pride in hosting Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, facilitating the initiation of dialogue and negotiations aimed at reaching a fair and binding agreement in Muscat. He extended gratitude to his colleagues for their participation in this friendly setting, which fostered the bridging of perspectives and the pursuit of regional and global peace, security, and stability. He emphasized the commitment to continue collaborative efforts toward this objective.
As reported by an Iranian news agency, these talks, the first in several years, were conducted indirectly with the assistance of Omani intermediaries.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, noted in a post on X that the Iranian and U.S. negotiators were located in separate rooms, communicating through Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi.
The Iranian delegation, led by the Foreign Minister, arrived in Muscat earlier that day.
Upon arrival, Araghchi met with Sayyid Badr to convey Iran’s position, after which Sayyid Badr met with Witkoff.
Iran indicated it was willing to give diplomacy a “genuine chance” if the U.S. demonstrated commitment and goodwill.
Iran regarded the initial discussions in Oman as a chance to evaluate the seriousness of the United States regarding diplomatic efforts.
Previously, the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with the robust and solid relations between the two nations across various sectors, commending Oman’s responsible approach to regional issues and developments, as noted on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Twitter account.
He viewed Muscat's facilitation of indirect talks between Iran and the United States as a sign of this constructive attitude and expressed gratitude to Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al Busaidi for his strong commitment to this matter.
