Iran says seeks ‘real and fair’ deal in nuclear talks with US

AFP | Muscat

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Iran is seeking a “real and fair” agreement with the United States on its nuclear programme, a senior aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday, setting the stage for a diplomatic showdown this weekend in Oman.

Longtime adversaries Iran and the US are set to hold talks on Saturday in Muscat, aimed at reaching a deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

US President Donald Trump last month sent a letter to Khamenei urging negotiations and warning of possible military action if Iran refuses.

“Far from putting up a show and merely talking in front of the cameras, Tehran is seeking a real and fair agreement, important and implementable proposals are ready,” Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani said in a post on X.

He confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was heading to Oman “with full authority for indirect negotiations with America,” adding that if Washington showed goodwill, the path forward would be “clear and smooth”.

In the lead-up to the talks, the two sides have engaged in a war of words, with Trump reiterating his warning that military action was “absolutely” possible if talks failed.

Iran responded by saying it could expel UN nuclear inspectors, prompting another US warning that such action would be an “escalation”.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Yesterday, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran was “giving diplomacy a genuine chance in good faith and full vigilance.”

“America should appreciate this decision, which was made despite their hostile rhetoric,” he said on X.

The talks were first announced by Trump during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. While he said the talks would be high-level and “direct”, Iran has insisted they would be “indirect”.

It later emerged that Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were due to lead the talks in Oman, which has in the past played a mediating role on the Iran nuclear file.