Iran denies Trump’s claim sides to hold direct nuclear talks, says Oman will mediate

After US President Trump made a surprise announcement that the United States and Iran are poised to begin direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, a senior Iranian official says any negotiations will be indirect, with Oman acting as intermediary.

In a further sign of the difficult path ahead to any deal between the two geopolitical foes, Trump issued a stark warning that if the talks are unsuccessful, “Iran is going to be in great danger.”

Iran had pushed back against Trump’s demands in recent weeks that it directly negotiate over its nuclear program or be bombed, and it appears to be sticking to that position, saying it agreed only to mediated talks, likely to be held in Oman.

Trump said today that the sides would hold direct talks Saturday “at almost the highest level.”

A senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, tells Reuters: “The talks will not be direct … It will be with Oman’s mediation.” Oman, which maintains good relations with both the US and Iran, has been a longtime channel for messages between the rival states.

Iran’s Nournews, affiliated with the country’s top security body, describes Trump’s statement about a planned direct meeting as part of a “psychological operation aimed at influencing domestic and international public opinion.”