Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States are showing cautious signs of progress, according to Omani and Iranian officials, even as fundamental disagreements, particularly over uranium enrichment remain unresolved.
Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said the latest round of talks featured an exchange of “constructive and positive” ideas, reflecting what he described as an unprecedented openness among negotiators to explore new approaches.
Writing on the social platform X, Albusaidi said mediation efforts are continuing intensively and in a constructive spirit, with the aim of creating favorable conditions for a fair agreement backed by sustainable guarantees. Oman has long played the role of quiet intermediary between Washington and Tehran and is again hosting indirect contacts between the two sides.
Cautious optimism from Tehran
From Tehran, senior officials signaled guarded optimism. Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said an “immediate agreement” could be within reach if negotiations focus strictly on preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons.
Shamkhani argued that such an understanding would be consistent with the Supreme Leader’s religious ruling against nuclear arms and aligned with Iran’s declared defense doctrine. He also said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is involved in the Geneva talks, has sufficient authority to conclude a deal if the political conditions are met.
Iran continues to insist, however, that uranium enrichment is its sovereign right and maintains that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
Washington maintains a hard line
The United States has signaled a tougher public stance. President Donald Trump has said Iran should not be permitted to enrich uranium at any level, a position that remains one of the most significant obstacles to a breakthrough.
Diplomatic sources say the current phase of talks is focused on testing whether a narrower confidence-building framework could be agreed before tackling the most contentious technical details.
Technical track and ongoing consultations
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described Tehran’s negotiating team as “complete and serious,” indicating Iran is approaching the talks with full political backing.
Baghaei also confirmed that Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been present in Geneva and is expected to contribute to the technical dimensions of the nuclear discussions — a sign that talks may be entering a more detailed phase.
Iranian media reported that discussions were briefly paused to allow delegations to consult internally before resuming, a common feature of complex multilateral negotiations.
Mediation role remains pivotal
Ahead of the latest round, Albusaidi met in Geneva with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner to review Iranian proposals and the American team’s responses and questions.
Diplomatic observers say Oman’s role remains central because the talks are still indirect, with Muscat shuttling proposals and clarifications between the two sides.
Despite the cautiously positive tone, analysts note that the core dispute over enrichment rights, verification mechanisms, and sanctions relief remains unresolved. Still, the characterization of the latest exchanges as constructive suggests both Washington and Tehran may be testing pathways toward a limited understanding that could reduce tensions while leaving broader disputes for future rounds.
Whether the current diplomatic momentum can produce a formal agreement will likely depend on the willingness of both sides to narrow their positions in the coming weeks.
