MUSCAT (Dispatches) -- The first round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S., mediated by Oman, has concluded, with talks due to resume next week, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
The ministry said the talks, led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the U.S.’ special Mideast envoy, were “held in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect.”
The two sides, the statement said, “exchanged their respective governments’ positions on issues related to Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and the lifting of unlawful sanctions against Iran.”
The talks were mediated by Badr Albusaidi, Oman’s foreign minister. Both parties agreed that the next round of negotiations would be held next week.
The statement added that the heads of the two delegations “briefly spoke with each other in the presence of the Omani Foreign Minister” while they were leaving the venue after more than 2 1/2 hours of indirect talks in the capital Muscat.
Albusaidi said on X: “I am proud to announce that today in Muscat we hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. 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.”
He added: “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.”
He affirmed that his country “will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal.”
Araghchi, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, arrived in Muscat early on Saturday to take part in the much-anticipated talks.

The talks are focused on Iran’s nuclear program and come amid heightened tensions between the two countries, especially since Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency this January.
Trump recently threatened Iran with bombing and more tariffs if it failed to reach an agreement with the U.S. over its nuclear program, which triggered sharp reactions from Tehran.
Iran refused to engage in direct talks with the U.S. but agreed to hold indirect talks with Oman’s mediation following a recent exchange of letters between the two sides.
On X page earlier Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the representatives of the Iranian and American sides were seated in 

separate rooms and conveying their views to each other through the Omani mediator.
Iran maintains that these talks are solely about nuclear issues and has rejected negotiations regarding any of its defense capabilities, such as its missile ballistic program.
“What is clear now is that the negotiations are indirect and, in our view, only on the nuclear issue, and will be carried out with the necessary will to reach an agreement that is from an equal position and leads to securing Iran’s national interests,” Araghchi stated Saturday.
Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it will not accept threats in these talks and will only discuss the nuclear issue based on win-win negotiations.
Tehran says it will negotiate based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) framework, namely building trust in exchange for lifting U.S. economic sanctions.

Iran signed the JCPOA with former U.S. president Barack Obama in 2015. Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 during his first term in office. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Trump to renege on the deal.
Baghaei said, “Iran’s goals are clear, and that is to secure Iran’s national interests. We are giving diplomacy a real and honest opportunity so that through dialogue, we can advance the nuclear issue on the one hand and, more importantly for us, the lifting of sanctions.”
“Iran has proven in the past few decades that it is committed to diplomacy in practice. We have proven this well in practice on the nuclear issue in the past two decades,” Baghaei added.