Ahead of Second Round of Indirect Talks,

Iran Warns U.S. to Stop ‘Contradictory’ Positions

Date: 14 April 2025 - 22:30

News ID: ۱۳۸۵۰۰

TEHRAN -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry said Monday that negotiations with the U.S. will continue indirectly, and called on Washington to stop taking “contradictory” positions.
“The venue of the next round of negotiations will probably be somewhere other than Oman … the format and framework of the talks will remain unchanged,” said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
“Direct talks with the U.S. will be neither fruitful nor acceptable to Iran,” he added. “Indirect negotiation is not an unconventional method. It has happened before and is based on previous proven experiences. We have to choose a method that we’re confident of its efficiency.”
Baghaei said, “One of the reasons that Iran opted for indirect talks with the U.S. was the contradictory American policies. The U.S. cannot press ahead with the policy of pressure and threat at the same time with a call for direct talks,” he said, calling on Washington to “resolve this paradox.”
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear program began in Oman on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with a bombing campaign if a deal is not reached, while maintaining his “maximum pressure” policy of sanctions against Tehran.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. It has also stressed that the talks with Washington focus solely on the nuclear issue and the removal of U.S. sanctions, and has rejected negotiations regarding any of its defense capabilities, such as its ballistic missile program.
Trump said on Sunday that a decision on Iran would be made soon, following what both Washington and Tehran described as “positive” and “constructive” discussions in Oman the day before. The two sides have agreed to meet again later this week.
Speaking to reporters while flying on Air Force One, Trump said he had held talks with his advisors on the matter and anticipated reaching a decision quickly.
“We’ll be making a decision on Iran very quickly,” Trump said.
According to Axios, citing two sources familiar with the matter, a follow-up round of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran is expected to take place this coming Saturday in Rome.
A source told Iranian news agency Tasnim that “the second round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S. will be definitely mediated by Oman

again, although the venue for the talks is still unclear.”

“A number of Western media outlets are trying to announce certain countries as the final venue for the negotiations, but Iran is evaluating the proposed locations and receiving Oman’s views before giving the final answer,” the source added.

Axios reported on April 11 that Iran was looking to propose an “interim nuclear agreement” in the talks with Washington before reaching a final comprehensive deal on its atomic energy program.

“The Iranians think reaching a complex and highly technical nuclear deal in two months is unrealistic and they want to get more time on the clock to avoid an escalation,” it said.

Baghaei said Iran’s main issue is the removal of the oppressive sanctions. “This has been our serious and longstanding demand, which we have raised and will continue to pursue.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Russia this week ahead of the planned second round of talks between Tehran and Washington.

Araghchi and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held talks in Oman on Saturday, during which Omani envoy Badr al-Busaidi shuttled between the two delegations sitting in different rooms at his palace in Muscat.

Both sides described the talks in Oman as “positive”, although a senior Iranian official said the meeting “was only aimed at setting the terms of possible future negotiations”.

Baghaei said Araghchi will “discuss the latest developments related to the Muscat talks” with Russian officials.

Moscow, a party to Iran’s 2015 nuclear pact, has supported Tehran’s right to have a civilian nuclear program.

Meanwhile, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will visit Tehran on Wednesday in an attempt to narrow gaps between Tehran and the agency over unresolved issues.

“Continued engagement and cooperation with the agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed,” Grossi said on X on Monday.