Iran and the U.S. have come to an agreement on key “guiding principles” during their talks to address their longstanding nuclear disagreement, as stated by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi. However, Aragchi clarified that this does not indicate an imminent deal.
Following Aragchi’s remarks, oil futures dropped, and the Brent crude contract fell over one percent, alleviating concerns of conflict in the region. The U.S. has deployed a battle force to pressure Tehran for concessions.
Aragchi mentioned that various proposals were considered and thoroughly discussed, leading to a general agreement on certain guiding principles. An unidentified U.S. official disclosed that Iran is expected to present detailed proposals in the next two weeks to bridge gaps in the nuclear discussions.
The indirect talks involved U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Aragchi, facilitated by Oman. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi highlighted that while much work remains, both Iran and the U.S. have identified clear next steps.
Simultaneously, Iranian state media reported that Iran would temporarily close a portion of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil passage, citing “security precautions” during military drills by Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards in the area.
In response to Trump’s remarks suggesting “regime change” in Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned that any U.S. efforts to overthrow his government would be unsuccessful. Khamenei reiterated that Iran’s missile arsenal is not up for negotiation and asserted that the U.S. should lift the debilitating sanctions on Iran in good faith for the talks to succeed.
The talks took place at the Omani ambassador’s residence to the United Nations under tight security. Amid the discussions, both sides addressed non-nuclear issues such as Iran’s missile stockpile. While Tehran is open to discussing constraints on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, it remains firm on not relinquishing uranium enrichment entirely or engaging in missile program talks.
