Iran says will hold 'indirect talks' with US in Oman despite Trump's direct negotiations claim

Iran and the US will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, brushing off Donald Trump's suggestion they will engage in direct talks.

"Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks," Araghchi said on X on Monday.

"It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America's court," he added.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said Monday that the US is engaged in "very high-level" talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme, adding the negotiations are "in Iran's best interests."

Trump has repeatedly threatened to pursue military action against Iran if a deal can't be reached and repeated the threats again on Monday, saying Tehran "is going to be in great danger" if the talks fail.

'Dealing with them directly'

Iran had previously ruled out direct negotiations with Washington but held the door open to indirect discussions via an intermediary.

That appears to have changed in the interim, with Trump saying the two nations have agreed to engage directly with a first round of senior-level talks to take place this weekend.

"We're having direct talks with Iran, and they've started. It'll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we'll see what can happen. And I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with," he told reporters as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

"Now we're dealing with them directly. And maybe a deal is going to be made, that'd be great. It'll be really great for Iran," he added.

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Source: TRT