Trump signs executive order threatening tariffs for countries trading with Iran
Starting in Oman on Friday, the ongoing talks are the first involving US and Iranian officials since last June, when the US bombed Iran's three main nuclear facilities.The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the US was represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, Trump said Friday's talks were "very good", and that Iran "looks like it wants to make a deal very badly". "If they don't make a deal, the consequences are very steep," the president said, adding that there will be another meeting early next week. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the discussions, said they had been "useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress".In a statement to X, Araghchi described the talks to date as "a good start" and said that a "positive atmosphere prevailed". He said negotiators had now returned to their respective capitals for consultation. Rising tensions between the US and Iran have raised fears of a conflict between the countries, with Trump declaring that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be "very worried" as recently as Wednesday.The president has said he would be prepared to strike the Middle Eastern nation if it refused to reach a deal on its nuclear programme. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and has repeatedly denied accusations by the US and its allies that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.The US has also built up a significant military presence in the region, including what Trump describes as a "massive armada" in response to Iran's violent repression of nationwide anti-government protests last month. Human rights groups have said that many thousands of people were killed in the crackdown, but the full scale of the bloodshed remains unclear due to internet restrictions imposed by the government since 8 January.
