WANA (Apr 11) – The indirect negotiations set to take place tomorrow, led by Abbas Araghchi and Steve Witkoff and mediated by the Omani Foreign Minister in Muscat, will be conducted through the exchange of written texts.

 

On Saturday, April 12, Muscat, the capital of Oman, will host delegations from Iran and the United States, led respectively by Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, and Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s Special Representative for Middle East Affairs. These talks are the start of a new round of indirect negotiations.

 

Previously, Esmail Baghaei had described these talks as a “generous offer” from Iran. The U.S. representative, for his part, is heading to Muscat after accepting Iran’s conditions: that the talks be indirect and held in Oman.

The negotiations—scheduled to begin tomorrow afternoon in Muscat—will be mediated by Badr Albusaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister, and will proceed indirectly through written exchanges.

 

By agreeing to such indirect talks, aimed at verifying the true intentions of the American side, Iran has chosen to give diplomacy a real chance. As Araghchi previously stated, this meeting is as much a strategic opportunity as it is a test.

 

This indirect negotiation model, being used on Saturday in Oman, has precedent. It has been utilized in the past in various contexts—including, more recently, by the U.S. in the Ukraine issue.

 

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister previously wrote in the Washington Post: “Pursuing indirect negotiations is neither a tactical maneuver nor an expression of ideological preference—it is a strategic choice based on experience. We are facing a massive wall of distrust and serious doubts about the sincerity of the other side’s intentions.”

 

Today, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei added: “We are entering this process with goodwill and full vigilance, giving diplomacy a real opportunity. The U.S. should appreciate this decision, made despite their hostile rhetoric. On Saturday, we intend to assess the other side’s seriousness and intentions, and shape our next moves accordingly.”