Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is visiting Russia this week ahead of a planned second round of talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at resolving the decades-long nuclear standoff. The negotiations, set to take place in Oman’s Muscat on Saturday, have been tense, with Iran expressing concerns about US President Donald Trump’s intentions.
Araqchi met with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, in Oman on Saturday, where they discussed the terms of possible future negotiations. However, a senior Iranian official described the meeting as “only aimed at setting the terms” for future talks.
Iran has approached these talks warily, doubting an agreement and suspicious of Trump, who has threatened to bomb Iran if no deal is reached. Washington aims to halt Tehran’s sensitive uranium enrichment work, which it regards as a path to nuclear weapons.
Russia, a party to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and six world powers, supports Tehran’s right to have a civilian nuclear program. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei distrusts the US, but has been forced to engage with Washington in search of a deal due to fears of public unrest.
The talks come as tensions remain high following Trump’s revival of his “maximum pressure” campaign when he returned to the White House in January. Iran has far surpassed the 2015 deal’s limits on uranium enrichment, producing stocks at a high level of fissile purity.
IAEA head Rafael Grossi will visit Tehran on Wednesday to try and narrow gaps between Tehran and the agency over unresolved issues.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-foreign-minister-will-consult-iran-us-talks-during-visit-russia-2025-04-14