US-Iran talks held in friendly atmosphere: Sayyid Badr

Muscat: Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, said that the talks between United States and Iran took place in a friendly atmosphere in Muscat on Saturday.

In a tweet, the foreign minister said, “I am proud to announce that we hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and mediated to begin a process of dialogue and negotiations with the shared aim of concluding a fair and binding agreement in Muscat. I would like to thank my two colleagues for this engagement which took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability. We will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal.”

According to Iran news agency, the talks, the first in years, were held indirectly through Omani intermediaries.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post on X on Saturday that the Iranian and U.S. negotiators had been stationed in separate rooms and exchanged messages via Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi.

The Iranian delegation, led by the Foreign Minister arrived in Muscat earlier in the day.

Upon arrival in Muscat, Araghchi met with Sayyid Badr and conveyed Iran’s stance to him who later met with Witkoff.

Iran said it was giving diplomacy a “genuine chance” if the American side demonstrated resolve and goodwill.

Iran viewed the preliminary talks in Oman as an opportunity to ascertain whether the United States is serious about diplomacy.

Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed his happiness with the strong and solid relations between the two countries in various fields, praising the Sultanate of Oman’s responsible stance on regional issues and developments, according to the Twitter account of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

He also considered Muscat’s hosting of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States as evidence of this positive approach, and thanked the Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr al Busaidi, for his keen interest in this issue.