Iran’s foreign minister says talks with US were ‘ a very good start’ but are ‘over for now’ – as it happened

The foreign minister of Oman, who mediated the talks, expressed optimism that the negotiations will continue.

In a post on X, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said:

Very serious talks mediating between Iran and the US in Muscat today. It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, said the indirect talks with US officials in Oman were “a very good start” but that negotiators must now speak with their leaders.

In comments to Iranian state media shortly after the negotiations in Muscat, Aragchi said both Tehran and Washington officials have agreed to “proceed with negotiations”, according to statements reported on the newswires.

Today’s talks were held in a “very positive atmosphere”, he added.

There were no further comments on what was discussed during the series of talks that took place over several hours.

State media is reporting that a foreign ministry spokesperson for Iran said that talks have concluded “for now” but did not elaborate any further on when they might restart, according to Reuters.

At a crossroads, Iran may be willing to make tough compromises with its nuclear programme in order to win sanctions relief and ease major social unrest gripping the country, an expert has said.

It all hinges on how much the US will demand of Iran and whether those concessions will cross Tehran’s red lines, said Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics.

The Oman-mediated talks in Muscat between Iranian and US officials are thought to be focused on reaching a deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme. But the US has pushed for the negotiations to cover Iran’s ballistic missiles, its support for regional proxies - such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen – and the Iranian government crackdown on nationwide protests. Iran pushed back, saying it wanted the talks to solely focus on the nuclear issue.

Iran insisted that its right to enrich uranium for peaceful ends was not negotiable and demanded the lifting of sanctions that were reimposed in 2018 when Donald Trump ditched Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal. Reports suggest Iran could agree to lower its uranium enrichment for an agreed period of time in return for access to frozen financial assets in the US.

“What we know now is that the Iranian leadership is willing to offer painful concessions … Iran seems to be willing to either shut down its nuclear programme or suspend it for a long time,” said Gerges.

“So, if the US is genuine about reaching a deal with the clerics in Tehran, I think we might really be pleasantly surprised that both sides could somehow make painful compromises.

“Iran won’t get rid of its nuclear programme without having the sanctions lifted. The American and global sanctions have broken the backbone of the Iranian economy. They have pauperised the Iranian people, and have led to very serious large-scale protests that threaten the very viability and survival of the regime.”

Iran is unlikely to budge on the US’s other demands over its ballistic missiles and support for proxies,” Gerge added. “Doing so will mean not only the surrender of Iran but it will become naked in the face of any future Israeli attacks,” he said.

“Iran’s ballistic missiles are its only deterrence at the moment, and this is a red line as many Iranian leaders from all political persuasions have made very clear.

“If the US insists on discussing not only Iran’s nuclear programme, but also its ballistic missiles and broader regional behaviour, then I think the talks will ultimately fail and I think we will see military escalation in the next few days and weeks.”

We’re starting to get some more clarity on the flow of the talks.

Oman’s foreign minister Badr Albusaidi held separate meetings with Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi, as well as US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, according to a statement from the Omani foreign ministry.

That matches pictures seen outside the palace, according to AP, which showed a convoy with an American flag entering the grounds after the Iranian delegation left.

The statement read:

The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations, while emphasising their importance, in light of the parties’ determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability.

Iranian state media is now reporting that Araghchi and his team are expected to begin indirect talks with the US delegation shortly.

There are some conflicting reports over whether the talks have officially begun or not. Reuters news agency has quoted an Iranian official saying indirect negotiations may “possibly” begin after Albusaidi’s meeting with Witkoff.

On Thursday 8 January, Iran went dark. In the midst of massive national protests, the government shut down the internet, phone calls, and almost all communication out of the country. That evening a violent crackdown began. In some cities, government forces opened fire on crowds, killing thousands – according to some estimates, possibly tens of thousands – in two days of bloodshed. The internet blackout has meant that a clearer picture of what happened – drawn from witness reports, videos, photographs and testimony from hospitals – has taken time to assemble.

When the violence began, there were demonstrations taking place in more than 200 cities, according to human rights groups. Below is the story of what unfolded in one of them:

Iranian media are reporting that the nuclear talks between Iranian and US officials in Muscat have now begun.

Iran’s Mehr news agency has reported some comments from the pre-talks meeting between Aragchi and Albusaidi, in which the Iranian foreign minister warned against excessive demands by the US.

“Araghchi emphasised full readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or acts of adventurism,” Mehr reported.

It added that the Omani foreign minister expressed hope that the nuclear talks “would pave the way for a sustainable understanding between Iran and the United States”.

Ahead of the talks in Muscat, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi took to X on Friday morning and said that ‘Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year.”

He went on to add: “We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments need to be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric—they are a must and the pillars of a durable agreement.”