Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said nuclear talks with the United States will be held in the Omani capital Muscat on Friday, the White House confirmed, the Associated Press reported.
Initially, the news that the talks would be held in Oman, not Turkey as expected, was announced by the Iranian news agencies Tasnim and ISNA.
For hours today, there were signs of uncertainty surrounding the talks due to changes in their format and content, the AP notes.
"I am grateful to our Omani brothers for making all the necessary preparations," Araghchi wrote on the social network Ex this evening.
Earlier today, an official said that the Islamic Republic wants "different type" meeting from the one proposed by Turkey and that, according to Tehran, the consultations should be entirely focused on the Iranian nuclear program. In addition, Iran has expressed the desire to have only representatives of the Islamic Republic and the United States participate in the negotiations.
The administration of Donald Trump confirmed that the United States will participate in high-level talks with Iran in the Omani capital Muscat, not in Turkey. A White House official told the AP that several leaders of Arab and Muslim countries today urged the US government not to abandon the negotiations, despite the Iranians' demand to limit the scope of the issues to be discussed and to change the location of the meeting.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated after President Trump said that the United States may use force against Iran in response to the repression of participants in the mass protests that erupted in the Middle Eastern country at the end of last year. Trump is also pressing Tehran to reach a deal to curb its nuclear program.
Iran's reformist President Massoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that he had instructed his foreign minister to "hold fair and equal negotiations" with the United States. It was the first clear sign that Tehran wants to try to negotiate. Pezeshkian's words also signaled that the talks are supported by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, the AP reported. Khamenei has previously rejected any negotiations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that any possible talks would include a number of issues that do not directly concern Iran's nuclear program. It deals with topics such as the Islamic Republic's ballistic missiles, its support for a network of proxies in the Middle East, and "their attitude towards their own people."
/НВ/
Source: www.bta.bg