Nuclear diplomacy on hold: Iran-US technical talks postponed
Shafaq News/ Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that expert-level talks with the United States, originally set for Wednesday, have been postponed to Saturday at the suggestion of Oman.
The technical discussions will take place with the participation of the heads of both the Iranian and US delegations, the ministry added.
The delay was announced as the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) unveiled new sanctions against more than 10 Iranian companies. OFAC said the sanctions target 12 firms linked to Iran’s gas and shipping sectors, along with several Iranian nationals.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated in a post on X, he clarified that when he agreed to deliver a keynote speech at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference, no date had yet been set for the next round of talks. “As I underscore in my prepared remarks,” he wrote, “Iran has no intention of negotiating in public.”
When I agreed to present a keynote address before @carnegienpp, Iran and the U.S. had not yet set dates for the next round of talks, which begin at the expert level on Wednesday and at the principals' level on Saturday.As I underscore in my prepared remarks, Iran has no… https://t.co/5QqiEwuY4K pic.twitter.com/OW2KCswseN
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 21, 2025
Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran-US talks with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq during their meeting in Moscow.
According to TASS, the two leaders also voiced concern over the situation in Gaza and called for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories.
"We remain in close contact with the Iranians and will assist as much as possible," Ushakov said.
The Omani News Agency reported that Sultan Haitham and President Putin also witnessed the signing of a treaty, a protocol, and nine memoranda of understanding (MoU) during the Kremlin visit.
Oman continues to mediate between Tehran and Washington, as US President Donald Trump pushes for a new agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear activity—seen by Washington as a cover for weapons development, while Iran denies pursuing nuclear arms.
Earlier, Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran, and the country is also working to strengthen ties with the Trump administration.
