(AFP) – Iran on Friday said it expected to hold more negotiations with the United States, hailing a “positive atmosphere” during a day of indirect talks in Oman but warning against threats after Washington raised the spectre of new military action. With an American naval group led by an aircraft carrier in Middle Eastern waters, US and Iranian delegations held talks in Muscat mediated by the Gulf sultanate without publicly meeting face-to-face.
Shortly after the talks wrapped up, the US announced new sanctions against shipping entities and vessels, aimed at curbing Iran’s oil exports. But it was not clear if the move was linked to the outcome of the talks. The talks were the first between the two foes since the United States joined Israel’s war with Iran in June with strikes on nuclear sites. They also come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead, according to rights groups.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Iran’s delegation in Muscat, said talks “focused exclusively” on the Iranian nuclear programme which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. The US delegation, led by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner, had also wanted Tehran’s backing for militant groups, its ballistic missile programme, and treatment of protesters to also be on the agenda.
“In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were shared with us,” Araghchi told Iranian state TV, adding that the two sides had “agreed to continue negotiations, but we will decide on the modalities and timing at a later date.” “The way forward will depend on our consultations with capitals,” he added. Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, he expressed hope that Washington would refrain from “threats and pressure” so that “the talks can continue.” There was no immediate comment from the American delegation in Muscat.
In a symbol of the potential for US military action, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, whose area of responsibility includes the Middle East, was also present at the talks, according to images published by the Oman News Agency. Multiple sessions of talks in the morning and afternoon saw both sides shuttling to and from the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who in a message on X said “we aim to reconvene in due course.” The foreign ministry of US ally Qatar expressed hope the talks would “lead to a comprehensive agreement that serves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region.”
The White House has made clear it wants the talks to rein in Tehran’s ability to make a nuclear bomb, an ambition the Islamic republic has always denied. “They’re negotiating,” Trump said of Iran on Thursday. “They don’t want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there,” he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an “armada.”
The meeting comes just under a month after the peak of a wave of nationwide protests in Iran against the clerical leadership, which rights groups say were repressed with an unprecedented crackdown that has left thousands dead. Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters and even told demonstrators “help is on its way.” Regional powers including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar urged the United States not to intervene, calling on Washington and Tehran to instead return to talks.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that according to its latest toll, 6,495 protesters were confirmed to have been killed, as well as 214 members of the security forces and 61 bystanders. But it and other rights groups warn that the final toll risks being far higher, with the magnitude of the crackdown masked by the blanket internet shutdown imposed by the authorities for a fortnight. Almost 51,000 people are also confirmed to have been arrested, according to HRANA.
But Trump’s rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear programme, and the US has manoeuvered a naval group led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region. Iran has repeatedly vowed it will hit back at US bases in the region if attacked. The new sanctions to curb Iran’s oil exports, including targeting 14 vessels, come with Trump “committed to driving down the Iranian regime’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the administration’s maximum pressure campaign,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
– Aya Iskandarani with Stuart Williams in Paris
© 2024 AFP
