Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran and Washington believe nuclear talks should resume soon following indirect negotiations in Oman, even as Tehran ruled out discussions on its missile program and uranium enrichment.
Abbas Araqchi told Qatar’s Al-Jazeera television on February 7 that both sides agreed the discussions should resume soon, adding that there was no agreed timeline for the next meeting.
While he said that Tehran was open to reaching a deal, Araqchi added that issues over Iran's missile program and uranium enrichment were nonstarters for future negotiations.
“Neither now nor in the future can negotiations be held over missiles because this is a defensive issue," he said. “The issue of banning enrichment is not negotiable from Iran’s point of view."
Araqchi added that Iran would respond to any potential US attack: "If Iran is attacked, we will target US bases in the region."
The comments from Araqchi came a day after delegations from Tehran and Washington held talks mediated by Oman, and after US President Donald Trump said the discussions were “very good.”
While neither side announced concrete outcomes, both suggested that negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program could continue in the near term.
“Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We have to see what that deal is,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
"The fact that the talks didn't fail and the two sides did not leave the negotiating table shows that maybe they felt enough common ground or that both sides put some concessions on the table that were attractive enough for both sides to continue the talks," Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.
The talks took place amid an American military buildup in the Middle East. Tensions have been heightened by more than two weeks of unrest in Iran, during which authorities launched a crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands of civilians.
As reports of the carnage trickled out of Iran, Trump threatened to strike Iran if any of the tens of thousands of protesters arrested were executed.
The US president has continued to keep military options on the table, while also emphasizing efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear program, which Western powers fear is aimed at producing a bomb despite Tehran’s insistence it is for civilian purposes.
Following the Oman talks, the US State Department announced new sanctions on Iran's oil exports, targeting 15 entities and 14 shadow fleet vessels.
"The United States will continue to act against the network of shippers and traders involved in the transport and acquisition of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemical products," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Separately, Trump signed an executive order that could impose secondary tariffs on countries that import goods from Iran, according to a White House statement.
The order described the move as "necessary and appropriate" after receiving additional information from senior officials regarding the "actions and policies" of the Iranian government.
Trump has not directly commented on the order but reiterated "no nuclear weapons" for Iran when speaking to reporters on Air Force One.
The order does not specify the tariff rate, but cites 25 percent as an example. It says the tariff could apply to goods imported into the US from any nation that "directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran".
The White House said that this latest executive order reaffirmed the "ongoing national emergency with respect to Iran" and noted that the president may modify it if circumstances change.
"The President is holding Iran accountable for its pursuit of nuclear capabilities, support for terrorism, ballistic missile development, and regional destabilization that endanger American security, allies, and interests,” the order said.
