In this photo released by Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, meets his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi prior to negotiations with U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)2025-04-12T09:45:31Z MUSCAT, Oman (AP) Envoys from Iran and the United States arrived Saturday in Oman ahead of the first talks over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. No overall agreement is immediately likely, but the stakes of the negotiations couldnt be higher for these two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Irans nuclear program if a deal isnt reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed a private jet from Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, arrived in Oman on Saturday morning. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff had just met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday there. Meanwhile, Irans Foreign Ministry released footage of Tehrans top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported that Araghchi provided Irans stance and key points for the talks to be conveyed to the U.S. side. IRNAs report suggested the meeting would be held later Saturday. If there is sufficient will on both sides, we will decide on a timetable. But it is still too early to talk about that, Araghchi said, in an audio clip published by IRNA. What is clear now is that the negotiations are indirect, and in our view only on the nuclear issue, and will be conducted with the necessary will to reach an agreement that is on an equal footing and leads to securing the national interests of the Iranian people. Trump and Witkoff both have described the talks as being direct.I think our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today, Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal before his trip. That doesnt mean, by the way, that at the margin were not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries. He added: Where our red line will be, there cant be weaponization of your nuclear capability,While the U.S. side can offer sanctions relief for Irans beleaguered economy, it remains unclear just how much Iran will be willing to concede. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, Tehrans stockpile could allow it to build multiple nuclear weapons if it so chooses and it has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Judging from negotiations since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018, Iran will likely ask to keep enriching uranium up to at least 20%.One thing it wont do is give up its program entirely. That makes the proposal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a so-called Libyan solution you go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution unworkable. Iranians including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have held up what ultimately happened to the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed with his own gun by rebels in the countrys 2011 Arab Spring uprising, as a warning about what can happen when you trust the United States. ___Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. ___The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.___Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/ JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto