Trump: We will decide on Iran very soon!
According to the Times of Israel, US President Donald Trump made a new claim about the indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on his way back to the White House from Florida.
He referred to the talks in Muscat on Saturday while speaking to reporters on Air Force One and claimed, “We will decide on Iran very soon!”
His claim about a quick decision-making came as the first round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran was held in Oman on Saturday with the participation of Steve Whittaker, his special envoy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and his accompanying delegation. These indirect talks are being held for the first time at the highest level between the two countries after Trump’s unilateral and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA agreement during his first term in office in 2018.
The Times of Israel also quoted Witkoff as saying that he had briefed Ron Dermer, the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, on the Oman talks, and that the next round is scheduled to be held in Rome next Saturday!
CNN reported yesterday, citing an informed source, that the US-Iran talks are scheduled to continue next week, and will likely be held in a European country.
After the talks ended, Araqchi referred to the first round of indirect talks with the American negotiating team: “We had about two and a half hours of indirect talks, facilitated by the Omani Foreign Minister. There were back-and-forths between the two delegations, and there were about four such meetings. The first meeting was constructive and conducted in a calm and respectful environment. The second round will be held next Saturday. No inappropriate language was used, and the parties demonstrated their commitment to advancing these talks until an agreement is reached that is desirable for both parties and is based on an equal footing.”
Earlier, NBC News correspondent Vaughn Hilliard quoted Steve Whittaker as saying in a social media post on X regarding the indirect talks between representatives of Tehran and Washington in Oman that “we had a very positive and constructive conversation.”
The reporter added that the talks with Iran will continue on April 19, citing Trump’s special envoy. The White House also described the talks with Iran as “very positive and constructive.”