Iran and the United States are scheduled to hold high-level, indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, this Saturday, April 12th, said Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, now on a visit to Algeria.
A source told Iran Nuances that Iran’s delegation will be headed by its seasoned top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, while the US side will be led by Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff.
This marks the first significant diplomatic engagement between the two countries since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Abbas Araghchi, appointed Iran’s Foreign Minister in August 2024, is a career diplomat with extensive experience, notably as a key negotiator in the original 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA).
Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, comes from a business background rather than traditional diplomacy. He has recently signaled a preference for engagement with Iran, stating the US doesn’t “need to solve everything militarily” and suggesting openness to dialogue.
While Trump, few hours ago, characterized the upcoming session as “direct” talks, Iranian Foreign Minister insisted and clarified that the talks will remain “indirect”. The indirect format of the upcoming talks indicates that Tehran’s logic prevailed. Iran’s ‘generous offer of indirect talks’ – as said by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei- proves to be a practical way to give a chance to diplomacy and test the U.S.’s seriousness.
