In a information convention on April 7, United States President Donald Trump stated there have been direct talks between Iran and his administration on the way forward for Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“We’re having direct talks with Iran,” Trump stated. “On Saturday, now we have a really massive assembly.”
Iran denied the direct talks however admitted talks have been set to happen via Omani mediation.
Trump’s announcement got here as a shock to many, as Iran has lengthy refused to carry direct talks. So, has one thing modified?
Right here’s every part we all know to date.
What did Trump say?
Curiously, he has doubled down on the talks being “direct”, saying they’ve begun and the subsequent assembly could be on Saturday.
“Lots of people say, oh, possibly you’re going via surrogates otherwise you’re not dealing straight, you’re dealing via different international locations,” he stated.
“No, we’re coping with them straight. And possibly a deal’s going to be made.
“Doing a deal could be preferable to doing the plain,” he stated, presumably in reference to attacking the regional large, one thing that US ally Israel has performed twice within the final 12 months.
In early March, Trump told reporters that he had written to Iranian authorities demanding talks on the nation’s nuclear programme and threatening army motion if there was no reply.
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on the time that Iran wouldn’t negotiate with “bullying governments”.
Trump has till now utilized what he calls a coverage of “most strain” on Iran, consisting of intensified sanctions.
What did Iran say?
Iran’s Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi stated oblique talks between himself and US Particular Envoy for the Center East Steve Witkoff would happen in Oman.
“It’s as a lot a chance as it’s a take a look at,” Araghchi wrote on X.
Iran has lengthy stated it is not going to maintain direct talks with the US, however agreed to work via an Omani middleman, who was introduced by Iranian state media to be Omani Overseas Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi.
Iran and the US will meet in Oman on Saturday for oblique high-level talks.
It’s as a lot a chance as it’s a take a look at. The ball is in America’s courtroom.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 7, 2025
Iran’s messaging has oscillated between an openness to barter and rejection of the US’s threatening techniques.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian stated in September that direct talks have been doable if the US confirmed it was amenable to good-faith talks.
“We aren’t hostile in direction of the US. They need to finish their hostility in direction of us by displaying their goodwill in observe,” Pezeshkian stated on the time. “We’re brothers with the Individuals as nicely.”
Nonetheless, earlier this week, Araghchi questioned Washington’s sincerity in calling for negotiations, saying on Sunday, “If you’d like negotiations, then what’s the level of threatening?”
What would Trump wish to negotiate?
Regardless of bombing Yemen and permitting Israel to have a free hand in Lebanon and Syria in addition to to restart the struggle on Gaza, Trump says he needs to be seen as a “peacemaker”.
He says he needs to barter Iran’s nuclear programme, to make it possible for Iran by no means builds a nuclear weapon.
Throughout his first time period in workplace, Trump truly withdrew the US from a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that curbed Iran’s nuclear programme in return for some sanctions reduction.
After withdrawing, Trump reapplied sanctions. He stated any settlement with Iran must restrict its standard weapons arsenal as nicely, not simply the nuclear programme.
In current weeks, he has stated Iran is materially aiding Yemen’s Houthis, blaming Iran whenever the Houthis launch an assault on Israel or what they are saying is Israel-linked transport within the Arabian or Pink seas.
It’s not clear if that can come up in negotiations.
Trump may wish to focus on Iran’s elevated oil gross sales to China.
What would Iran wish to negotiate?
Iran is concerned about sanctions reduction to ease financial strain on Tehran because the nation suffers an financial disaster that has hit all sectors of society.
This would come with assurances that Iran would have the ability to entry the SWIFT cash switch system in addition to worldwide funding.
Nonetheless, Iran additionally needs recognition of its nuclear programme, together with the proper to some degree of enrichment and to make use of its centrifuges, constructed since 2018.
That stated, the 2 sides’ beginning positions are additional aside than when negotiations first began on the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA), extensively often known as the “Iran nuclear deal”.
Iran is asking for extra in depth sanctions reduction than supplied underneath Obama, whereas Trump has threatened to bomb Iran in the event that they don’t minimize a deal.
Isn’t there already a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme?
Sure, the JCPOA.
As we talked about above, it exchanged assurances from Iran on limiting its nuclear programme for sanctions reduction.
Trump withdrew the US from the settlement in 2018, and his shut ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been one of many loudest voices opposing the JCPOA.
Trump and Netanyahu are in settlement, saying the JCPOA didn’t go far sufficient for lengthy sufficient, in reference to the JCPOA solely prohibiting sure nuclear actions for 10 to fifteen years.
They stated Iran’s standard weapons programme ought to be included in any take care of Iran, and that any reduction the Iranian economic system receives would solely allow Tehran to fund its regional allies to hold out actions assumed to “threaten Israel’s safety”.
How shut is Iran to a nuclear weapon?
Nobody actually is aware of.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceable functions and it doesn’t wish to develop a nuclear weapon.
Supreme Chief Khamenei issued a non secular ruling to that impact in 2003, and that has been the cornerstone of Iran’s nuclear coverage since.
Some Western analysts declare that, by way of capabilities, Iran is extremely near a nuclear weapon.
In March 2025, Rafael Grossi, the director basic of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company, raised issues over Iran’s enrichment of uranium. Iran has a stockpile of uranium enriched to about 60 %, the one non-nuclear state to have that.
Whereas Iran has maintained that it doesn’t need a nuclear weapon, Iranian leaders have made it clear that the choice rests solely with them.
In March, Khamenei stated: “If we needed to construct nuclear weapons, the US wouldn’t have the ability to cease it.”
