High-stakes indirect talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme concluded on Thursday in Oman without a final agreement, though Omani mediators said 'significant progress' had been made. The talks, which lasted around six hours, were described by Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, as 'one of our most intense and longest rounds of negotiations'.
Araghchi told reporters that 'good progress' was achieved on both the nuclear issue and sanctions relief, and that the two sides had begun discussing 'the elements of an agreement'. He confirmed that technical-level discussions would reconvene in Vienna next week, with the next round of political talks expected in less than a week.
Despite the positive tone, there was no immediate evidence that the fundamental divide had narrowed. The US continues to demand permanent guarantees that Iran will never be able to build a nuclear weapon, including strict limits on enrichment and robust inspection mechanisms. The issue of Iran's right to enrich uranium and the fate of its stockpile of highly enriched material remain unresolved.
The talks took place as Donald Trump weighs the possibility of military action against Iran. On 19 February, Trump issued a 10–15 day deadline for Tehran to reach a 'meaningful deal', which would expire by 6 March. There has been no immediate comment from the Trump administration on the outcome of Thursday's talks.
