Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he hoped talks with the United States would resume soon, while US President Donald Trump pledged to hold a second round of negotiations next week after mediated talks in Oman.
Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Saturday that Iran’s missile program was “never negotiable” during Friday’s talks and warned that Tehran would target US military bases in the Middle East if the US attacked Iranian territory.
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He added that despite the indirect nature of the negotiations in Muscat, “there was an opportunity to shake hands with the American delegation”. The discussion was “Good start“, but he insisted “there is still a long way to go to build trust”.
Iranians in the capital Tehran, however, appeared less positive.
“I think, like last time, the negotiations will end without a result because both sides are firm on their own positions and are not ready to back down,” a woman who asked to remain anonymous told Al Jazeera.
Abdullah al-Shayji, a US foreign policy expert at Kuwait University, said he hoped for a new deal between the two enemies but was not optimistic.
Israel is being prodded by the US to “have a strong position” and to “put pressure on the Iranian people” because they believe Iran is at its weakest point, so that it will be easier to extract concessions, especially last month. Anti-government protestsAl-Shayji said from the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
‘Inalienable Rights’
Despite calling Friday’s talks “very good,” Trump signed an executive order effective Saturday that calls for “imposing tariffs” on countries that still trade with Iran.
The US announced new sanctions on numerous shipping companies and vessels aimed at curbing Iran’s oil exports.
A quarter of Iran’s trade is with China, including $18 billion in imports and $14.5 billion in exports in 2024, according to World Trade Organization data.
Nuclear enrichment is Iran’s “inalienable right and must continue”, Araghchi said, adding, “We are ready to reach a promising agreement on enrichment. Iran’s nuclear issue will only be resolved through negotiations.”
Iran’s missile program is non-negotiable because it is related to “defense issues,” he said.
Washington has sought to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups in the region – issues that Israel has pressed for inclusion in the talks, according to media reports.
Tehran has repeatedly refused to expand the scope of negotiations beyond the nuclear issue.
“The Iranians strongly oppose any concessions,” Al-Shayji said, as does the US, making it extremely difficult for countries seeking mediation to “bring them closer.”
Friday’s talks were the first since nuclear talks between Iran and the US ended last year following Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran. 12 day war.
After widespread anti-government protests in Iran last month, Trump escalated threats against the country, USS Abraham Lincoln deployed to the Middle East.
‘Peace with Power’
Trump’s chief negotiator in Oman, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner visited the aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday.
In a social media post, Witkoff said the aircraft carrier and its strike group “are keeping us safe and powerfully upholding President Trump’s message of peace.”
Witkoff said he spoke with the pilot who shot down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier “without apparent intent” on Tuesday.
“Proud to stand with the men and women who protect our interests, deter our enemies, and show the world what American readiness and resolve looks like, every day,” Witkoff said.
While Trump has tried to use the deployment of the aircraft carrier to pressure Iran, al-Shayji said this may not be a long-term strategy.
“He (Trump) can’t keep his military on high alert for much longer. That would really discredit the Trump administration for being very tough and hard-line on Iran,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Trump on Wednesday about the Iran talks, his office said in a statement.
Netanyahu “must include limits on ballistic missiles and an end to Iran’s axis support in any negotiations,” he said, citing Iran’s allies in the region.
During the 12-Day War, US warplanes bombed Iran’s nuclear sites.
Araghchi hoped that Washington would refrain from “threats and pressure” so that “talks can continue”.