Iran says US’s desire for nuclear deal in ‘shortest time possible won’t be easy’

Iran on Saturday said the first formal talks with the United States over its nuclear program were ” constructive ” and that the two sides would meet again next week, April 19.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Muscat, Oman, April 12, 2025.(REUTERS)

Iranian foreign ministry said the two sides discussed Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions “in a constructive atmosphere and with mutual respect.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state television that the first meeting was “constructive” and “held in a calm and highly respectful environment; no inappropriate language was used.”

The minister added that both sides were committed to pursuing a “desirable agreement from a position of equality.”

“Neither side wants fruitless, protracted, or time-wasting negotiations. The American side also said their preference is for an agreement to be reached in the shortest time possible, but it won’t be easy,” Reuters quoted Araghchi as saying.

US says talks were ‘very positive’

A statement from the White House said the talks were “very positive and constructive,” while the issues involved are “very complicated.” It also confirmed Iran’s claim that the two sides will meet again on April 19.

Witkoff told Araghchi “that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible,” it added.

Oman’s key role

The talks were mediated by Oman and held indirectly, as Tehran demanded, rather than face-to-face, as Donald Trump demanded. The US president has threatened military action against the Islamic Republic if it did not agree to a deal with his administration. Iran has said it won’t respond to threats and would only agree to indirect talks.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi, who mediated the indirect talks between the US and Iranian delegations in separate rooms, said the meetings took place in “a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security, and stability.”

The meeting was the first formal top-level engagement between the two countries since 2022. The talks lasted more than two hours, following which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff met briefly and spoke, according to a statement by Tehran’s foreign ministry.

A relief from biting US economic sanctions could help Iran’s economy, which has been battling rampant inflation and a tanking currency for more than a decade, Reuters reported.