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Ahead of anticipated negotiations with Iran, Trump is willing to make concessions.
U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be “willing to make concessions” in order to reach an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, according to an official in his administration who spoke to the American news outlet Axios.
Trump insists that Iran must quickly reach an agreement that prevents it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, or else face military strikes. However, Tehran does not trust the U.S. president, who withdrew from a previous nuclear deal during his first term.
Two U.S. officials told Axios that they are still unsure what to expect from the Iranians during the talks scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday.
One of the officials said: “The main question we want answered by the Iranians is whether they have the political will to engage in a serious discussion, so we don’t have to resort to the alternative.”
The official added, “Trump is willing to make concessions to reach a deal.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that Tehran “does not make premature judgments. We don’t speculate. We intend to assess the other party’s intentions and address them on Saturday. We’ll consider it and respond accordingly.”
Baghaei added that “the United States should appreciate the fact that Iran is giving diplomacy a real chance, despite the noise of confrontation stirred up by Trump.”
Washington’s envoy, Steve Whitkoff, is leading the U.S. delegation, which will travel to Oman on Saturday on its way back from St. Petersburg, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Iran was one of the key topics discussed between them.
Whitkoff is known for his support of diplomatic efforts, in contrast to U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are considered more open to the military option in dealing with the Iranian issue.
Whitkoff will be joined by nuclear experts from the U.S. State Department.
On the other side, Iran’s negotiating team will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in nuclear talks. He was a key member of the team that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal.
Araghchi is arriving in Oman accompanied by two of his top deputies, both of whom have also previously participated in nuclear negotiations.
Iran is considering a proposal for the two sides to first negotiate a temporary nuclear agreement, in order to allow more time for talks on a comprehensive deal.
The White House insists that the talks with Tehran will be direct, while the Iranians maintain that they will be indirect — with both parties in separate rooms, exchanging messages through intermediaries.
A source familiar with the details told Axios that Saturday’s talks are expected to begin indirectly, and will likely shift to direct negotiations later that same day if the initial meeting proves positive.
A U.S. official said that Whitkoff plans to reiterate the messages conveyed in President Trump’s letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — namely, that the American president “believes in peace and prefers a diplomatic agreement, but will ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon or work with its proxies to destabilize the region.”