Iran president in Oman as nuclear talks progress
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday began a two-day visit to Oman, which is mediating ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.
Pezeshkian travelled to Muscat looking to promote 'peace and stability', he said, two days after US President Donald Trump described the latest negotiations as 'very, very good'.
'We hope to engage in dialogue to reach a shared perspective and a common voice on promoting peace and stability in the region,' Pezeshkian said in a televised speech before leaving Tehran.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed on Monday that the visit would address the ongoing nuclear talks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Iran considers nuclear weapons 'unacceptable', FM says
AFP | Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that Iran considers nuclear weapons "unacceptable," reaffirming the country's longstanding position amid delicate negotiations with the United States. Western governments have long suspected Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability to counter the widely suspected but undeclared arsenal of its arch-foe, Israel. "If the issue is nuclear weapons, yes, we too consider this type of weapon unacceptable," Araghchi, Iran's lead negotiator in the talks, said in a televised speech. 'We agree with them on this issue." Araghchi's remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump said Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon", while expressing hope of striking a deal soon. On Thursday, Araghchi hit out at what he called "media speculation" that the two sides were close to an agreement, saying he was "not sure if" a deal is "imminent". Iran has held five rounds of talks with the United States in search of a new agreement to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. No date or venue has yet been announced for the next round but Araghchi said Wednesday he expected an announcement from mediator Oman in the "next few days". The two governments are at odds over Iran's uranium enrichment programme, which Washington has said must cease, but which Tehran insists is its right under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. - 'Very good talks' - Nonetheless, Trump said Wednesday that "we're having some very good talks with Iran", adding that he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against striking its nuclear facilities as it would not be "appropriate right now". Israel has repeatedly threatened military action, after pummelling Iranian air defences during two exchanges of fire last year. Trump has not ruled out military action but said he wants space to make a deal first, and has also said that Israel, and not the United States, would take the lead in any such strikes. Trump adopted a "maximum pressure" policy against Tehran after abandoning the 2015 agreement and reimposed the sweeping sanctions which the deal had lifted in return for UN-monitored restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities. Iran continued to honour the agreement for a year, but then began rolling back its own compliance with its terms. Iran has since built up the largest stockpile of highly enriched uranium of any state without a nuclear arsenal. The uranium is enriched to 60 percent, still short of the 90 percent threshold needed for a nuclear warhead but far beyond the 3.67 percent limit set by the 2015 agreement. In recent days, Tehran has said that if a deal is reached, it may consider allowing US inspectors to join the teams from the UN nuclear watchdog monitoring compliance with its terms. Nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said Iran "will reconsider accepting American inspectors through the (International Atomic Energy) Agency" if "an agreement is reached and Iran's demands are taken into account".
Daily Tribune
4 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Iran president in Oman as nuclear talks progress
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian yesterday began a two-day visit to Oman, which is mediating ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington. Pezeshkian travelled to Muscat looking to promote 'peace and stability', he said, two days after US President Donald Trump described the latest negotiations as 'very, very good'. 'We hope to engage in dialogue to reach a shared perspective and a common voice on promoting peace and stability in the region,' Pezeshkian said in a televised speech before leaving Tehran. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed on Monday that the visit would address the ongoing nuclear talks.
Gulf Insider
6 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Iran, China Launch New Commercial Railway
A new commercial rail route connecting China to Iran has officially launched with the arrival of the first cargo train from the eastern Chinese city of Xian at the Aprin dry port near Tehran. Aprin's CEO highlighted the port's strategic role in lowering transport costs and reducing reliance on coastal freight hubs. Railway infrastructure connecting Iran and China allows freight trains to travel from Shanghai to Tehran in 15 days, compared to 30 days via the maritime route. On May 12, railway officials from Iran, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkiye met in Tehran to advance a transcontinental rail network linking Asia to Europe, Tasnim News Agency reported on May 25. The six nations agreed on competitive tariffs and operational standards to streamline regional rail services and boost trade connectivity. China and Iran have expanded trade and economic relations in recent years, as Tehran seeks to bypass US economic sanctions seeking to strangle its economy and oil exports. The rail line between the two countries enables Iranian oil exports to China and allows Chinese goods to reach Europe without US naval interference. In 2018, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated that Iran should look to the east rather than the west. Since that time, China has become Iran's largest oil purchaser, while Beijing has been able to supply Tehran with virtually all its needed manufactured goods, including electronics such as computers and cell phones. The following year, Iran joined China's 'One Belt One Road' (BRI) initiative – President Xi Jinping's hallmark strategic foreign policy initiative, seeking to recreate the economic ties that existed between ancient China and ancient Persia along the 'Silk Road' dating back to the third century BCE. This ain't an ordinary freight train. It traveled all the way from China, went through 4 other countries, and is finally reaching Ancient Silk Road being reborn!China and Iran are not afraid of US sanctions. The focus is trade, connectivity & development.#BRI — S.L. Kanthan (@Kanthan2030) May 26, 2025 China and Iran signed a historic 25-year economic cooperation agreement in 2021, reportedly worth $400 billion in trade. In 2023, China's growing relations with Iran helped it mediate a Saudi–Iranian rapprochement, which led to the resumption of diplomatic relations that had been cut in 2016. Also read: Iran Issues Surprisingly Optimistic Statement After Latest US Nuclear Talks
