Iran Says Giving Diplomacy ‘Genuine Chance’ Ahead of Talks with US

Iran is giving diplomacy a genuine chance, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei indicated on Friday, a day before much-awaited talks in Oman between the United States and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program.

“U.S. should value this decision formed despite their prevailing confrontational hoopla,” Baqaei wrote on his account on X.

“We do not prejudge… We do not predict… We intend to assess the other side’s intent and resolve this Saturday,” the Iranian diplomat pointed out, adding that Iran “shall reflect and respond accordingly.”

On Monday, US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that his administration would enter into negotiations with Iran.

In the lead-up to Saturday’s talks, the longstanding rivals have traded sharp rhetoric, with Trump threatening military action should the negotiations fail.

In response to Trump’s warning, a senior aide to Iranian Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei said Iran could expel UN nuclear inspectors—a move that prompted a US warning describing such an action as “escalation”.

Saturday’s meeting follows a letter Trump sent last month to Sayyed Khamenei, urging Tehran to enter talks while cautioning that military action remained on the table if Iran refused.

Tehran expressed a willingness to engage in indirect negotiations but ruled out direct talks as long as Washington continues its “maximum pressure” policy.

While Trump has claimed the talks would be “direct”, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has clarified that they will be “indirect”. Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff are set to lead the negotiations.

In the days leading up to the meeting, the United States has continued its “maximum pressure” campaign, most recently imposing new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil network and nuclear program.

Speaking on Wednesday, Trump reiterated that military action against Iran was “absolutely” possible if the talks failed to yield a deal.

Iran seeking genuine, fair, and implementable agreement: Shamkhani

On his part, Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Sayyed Khamenei, confirmed on Friday that Araghchi is on his way to Oman to engage in indirect negotiations with American officials.

He stressed that Iran is seeking a genuine, fair, and implementable agreement, pointing out that if Washington enters the negotiations sincerely, the path will be clear and straightforward.

Shamkhani warned that such threats could lead to measures including the expulsion of UN nuclear watchdog inspectors.

He also suggested Iran might relocate enriched nuclear material to secure locations, in reference to its uranium enrichment activities.

The United States responded by condemning the threats as “inconsistent” with Iran’s stated commitment to a peaceful nuclear program, warning that expelling inspectors would represent both an escalation and a miscalculation.

Iran has consistently denied any intention to pursue nuclear weapons.

During his first term in office, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and reimposed sweeping economic sanctions on Iran.

Tehran, which initially continued to comply with the agreement for a year after the US withdrawal, later began scaling back its commitments.

Iran plans to propose interim nuclear deal: Axios

In a related context, Axios cited a European diplomat and an informed source as saying that Iran is considering proposing, during upcoming talks with the United States, that both sides work toward an interim nuclear agreement as a preliminary step before pursuing a broader, comprehensive deal.

Trump has imposed a two-month deadline for reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran. In parallel, he has ordered a military buildup in the Middle East to prepare for alternative options should diplomacy fail.

Sources say Iranian officials view the prospect of concluding a complex, technically detailed agreement within two months as unrealistic and seek to buy time and reduce the risk of escalation.

Should negotiations break down, Trump may authorize a US military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities or back an Israeli strike instead.

A potential interim agreement between Washington and Tehran could involve suspending some of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities, diluting its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, and granting UN inspectors expanded access to Iranian nuclear facilities, according to Axios.

The news website suggested that such an arrangement might also extend the “snapback” mechanism from the 2015 nuclear deal, which allows for the reimposition of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran if it breaches the terms of the agreement. That mechanism is currently set to expire in October.

An interim agreement would also likely include a demand from Tehran that Trump ease his administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign targeting Iran’s economy, Axios mentioned.

France, the United Kingdom, and Germany have informed Iran they intend to trigger the snapback provision if no new deal is reached by the end of June.