Iran Says Talks with US to Focus Solely on Nuclear Issue, Lifting Sanctions
Iran's foreign ministry said Sunday that talks with the United States slated for next weekend will remain "indirect" with Omani mediation, and focused solely on the nuclear issue and lifting of sanctions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held talks Saturday in Muscat, marking the highest-level Iran-US nuclear negotiations since the collapse of a 2015 accord.
They agreed to meet again in seven days.
"Negotiations will continue to be indirect. Oman will remain the mediator, but we are discussing the location of future negotiations," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in an interview with state TV.
He said the talks would only focus on "the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions," and that Iran "will not have any talks with the American side on any other issue."
Analysts had said the US would push to include on the agenda discussions over Iran's ballistic missile program along with Tehran's support for the "axis of resistance" -- a network of militant groups opposed to Israel, AFP reported.
Tehran has, however, maintained it will talk only about its nuclear program.
Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers during his first term as US president.
He reimposed sweeping economic sanctions against Iran, which continued to adhere to the agreement for a year after Washington's pullout but later began rolling back its own commitments.
Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
On Sunday, Iranian media largely welcomed the rare talks as a "decisive turning point" in relations between the longtime foes.
Iran's conservative Javan daily praised the US for "not seeking to expand the negotiations to non-nuclear issues".
The government-sponsored newspaper, Iran, described the discussions as "constructive and respectful," quoting Araghchi.
Meanwhile, the reformist Shargh newspaper said it was a "decisive turning point" in Iran-US relations.
The hardline Kayhan newspaper, which was largely sceptical in the days leading up to the talks, lamented that Iran does not have a "plan B" while there was "no clear prospect for an agreement with Donald Trump."
It, however, lauded the fact that the American side did not bring up "the dismantling of nuclear facilities" and "the possibility of a military attack" during the discussions.
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