Trump hails 'very good' talks with Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington had “very good talks” on Iran after the two sides held indirect discussions in Oman, pledging another round of negotiations next week.

Iran, for its part, said it expected further meetings with the United States, praising a “positive atmosphere” during a day of talks in the Gulf sultanate.

With a U.S. naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier deployed in Middle Eastern waters, American and Iranian delegations met in Muscat on Friday with Omani mediation, without publicly coming face to face.

“We likewise had very good talks on Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “We’re going to meet again early next week,” he added.

Shortly after the talks ended, the United States announced new sanctions targeting shipping entities and vessels in an effort to curb Iran’s oil exports.

Trump also signed an executive order Friday allowing his administration to impose tariffs on goods from countries that do business with Iran, a step that could affect trade with nations including China, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

It was not immediately clear whether the measures were linked to the negotiations, the first since the United States joined Israel’s war with Iran in June with strikes on nuclear sites.

While Tehran warned against further threats after Washington raised the prospect of additional military action, Trump said: “If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Iran’s delegation in Muscat, said the talks “focused exclusively” on the nuclear program. Western countries suspect Tehran is seeking an atomic bomb, an ambition Iran denies, saying its activities are peaceful.

The U.S. delegation, led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, had also wanted to address Iran’s support for armed groups hostile to Israel, its ballistic missile program and its handling of protesters.

“In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were shared with us,” Araghchi told state television, adding that the sides had “agreed to continue negotiations.”

Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, he said he hoped Washington would refrain from “threats and pressure” so “the talks can continue.”

Destabilizing power

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, attended the talks, according to images released by the Oman News Agency.

Several rounds of discussions were held in the morning and afternoon, with delegations shuttling to and from the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said it hoped the negotiations would “lead to a comprehensive agreement that serves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region.”

The White House has made clear it wants the talks to curb Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Friday that Iran should stop being a “destabilising power,” citing its nuclear program and support for what he called “terrorist” groups. He also urged Iran-backed groups to exercise “the utmost restraint” in the event of any escalation.

Tehran supports a number of armed movements in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and groups in Iraq.

Maximum pressure

Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters last month, which rights organizations say left thousands dead, and told demonstrators that “help is on its way.”

Regional powers including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged Washington not to intervene and instead to return to negotiations.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said Friday it had confirmed that 6,505 protesters were killed, along with 214 members of the security forces and 61 bystanders.

Rights groups say the toll is likely higher because the scale of the crackdown has been obscured by a sweeping internet shutdown imposed for more than two weeks. At least 51,000 people have been arrested, HRANA said, citing what it called an increasing use of forced confessions.

In recent days, Trump has emphasized restraining Iran’s nuclear program, and Washington has deployed a carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region.

Iran has repeatedly warned it would target U.S. bases if attacked.

Announcing the new sanctions, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Trump was “committed to driving down the Iranian regime’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the administration’s maximum pressure campaign.”