US President Donald Trump confirmed that Washington and Tehran will continue talks after what he called “very good” initial discussions held in Oman.
Published: February 8, 2026 6:40 AM IST
Washington DC: Amid growing tensions, United States President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that his country and Iran will hold further discussions after recent talks, which he described as ‘very good’ initial discussions in Oman. However, Iran maintained that it would not agree to fully stop uranium enrichment, CNN reported. Delegations of both countries held talks on Friday in Oman, which marked the first negotiation between Washington and Tehran since the US and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iran last year. The talks were held between delegations of both the countries mediated by Oman.
“Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We have to see what that deal is,” Trump told reporters on Friday. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said another round of talks would take place “early next week,” though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said no date had yet been set.
US, Iran Agreed To Further Talks
According to a report by CNN, Washington and Tehran agreed to continue discussions after consulting their respective capitals.
The negotiations came amid heightened tensions, including a US military buildup in the Middle East and repeated warnings by Trump that Washington could strike Iran if it refused to sign a nuclear deal or used lethal force against protesters.
Ahead of the talks, Araghchi said Iran was entering diplomacy “with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year,” while after the meeting he described the discussions as a “good start.”
Sharp Rhetoric Persisted On Both Sides
Trump said earlier this week that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very worried,” while Araghchi warned that Iran would target US bases in the region if Washington carried out threats against the Islamic Republic.
Despite describing the talks as productive, Trump said on Friday that a “big fleet” was heading toward Iran and would arrive soon, CNN reported.
The talks involved Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff, with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also participating. While the negotiations were formally indirect, Araghchi told Al Jazeera that he had direct contact with the US delegation and that the two sides exchanged a handshake. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi acted as mediator.
Iranian media said the negotiations were meant to follow a format similar to earlier rounds of talks held before the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, when Omani mediators shuttled between the two sides. Those talks collapsed after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, followed by US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.
Benjamin Netanyahu Is Expected To Meet Trump
According to CNN, the Israeli government has said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump in Washington next week to discuss the Iran negotiations. Netanyahu has insisted that any agreement must include limits on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and an end to its support for regional proxy groups.
Iran, however, has said that discussions were strictly limited to its nuclear programme. Araghchi told Al Jazeera that no talks were held on ballistic missiles or regional proxies.
“We are prepared to reach an agreement that assures them that enrichment in Iran will be peaceful,” Araghchi said, while stressing that Tehran would not accept a complete halt to enrichment.
Iran has offered to accept monitoring and checks to ensure its nuclear programme is not weaponised, in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions. Washington and its allies have rejected Iran’s insistence on continuing enrichment, viewing it as a potential pathway to developing nuclear weapons.
US Announced New Sanctions On Iran
Amid the talks, Washington imposed new sanctions on Iranian oil and 14 vessels carrying the crude oil, putting more economic pressure on the Middle Eastern country.
“Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilising activities around the world,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, as quoted by CNN.
America continues to move its military assets near to the Middle East country. Trump recently stated that “armada” was moving toward Iran “just in case.”
(with ANI Inputs)
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