TEHRAN – Iran announced on Friday that it is giving diplomacy a “genuine chance” in upcoming nuclear talks with the United States, despite the rising storm of pressure from Washington reported by Daily Hurriyet News. The long-time rivals are set to meet in Muscat, Oman, this Saturday, where hopes and tensions hang in the balance.
The talks follow a surprising twist earlier this week when former President Donald Trump declared that his administration would enter negotiations with Iran. But as the clock ticks toward Saturday, sharp words and bold threats have filled the air.
Trump has warned that if talks fail, military action is “absolutely” on the table. In response, a close advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran might kick out UN nuclear inspectors, a move the U.S. quickly labeled as “an escalation.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, took to social media to stress that Iran is approaching the talks “in good faith and full vigilance,” despite hostile American rhetoric. “America should value this step,” he said.
Behind the scenes, Trump reportedly sent a letter to Khamenei last month, calling for talks but warning of consequences if Iran refuses. Iran replied it is open to indirect negotiations only, rejecting direct talks while the U.S. maintains its “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign.
Leading the discussions will be Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. While Trump insists the talks will be direct, Araghchi firmly states they will not be.
Iran, which has always denied trying to build nuclear weapons, says it will carefully judge the U.S. side’s seriousness before deciding its next steps. “We will neither prejudge nor predict,” said Baqaei. “We will act based on what we see.”
Saturday’s meeting in Oman may prove a turning point—or just another page in a long, stormy chapter between the two nations.
