Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he was neither “overly optimistic or overly pessimistic” regarding the Oman talks with the United States in his first remarks since Saturday’s meeting.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
Why It Matters
The comments from the Islamic Republic’s leader point to the degree of skepticism on both sides, as Washington and Tehran try to advance diplomatic means over military confrontation.
President Donald Trump has said he is determined to seek a new binding agreement for Iran’s nuclear expansion through negotiations but does not rule out the possibility of a military attack.
Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/AP
What To Know
Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the initial steps in the Oman talks were positive and must now be followed with caution.
“We’re neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic about the Oman talks,”Khamenei told a meeting of senior government officials on Tuesday.
A second U.S-Iran meeting is scheduled for Saturday although the U.S. has yet to confirm its location after Iran’s foreign ministry announced they would be also held in Oman, which has been mediating.
The U.S. president criticized the lengthy gap between meetings, urging faster progress as Iran rapidly advances its nuclear program.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has assessed that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had established that Iran was increasing its enrichment of uranium past 60 percent and getting closer to the 90 percent level needed for weapons grade.
Iranian officials have pushed back against Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy of tightening sanctions on Tehran.
“The removal of the sanctions is not in our hands, but neutralizing them is; there are many ways and great domestic capacity to do that,” Khamenei said.
What People Are Saying
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on X: “The Oman talks is a movement that’s been decided upon and well executed in its initial steps. Of course, we distrust the other side very much, but we’re optimistic about our own capabilities.”
President Donald Trump in Oval Office: “I think they might be tapping us along, but Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon, they cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News Channel: “They do not need to enrich past 3.67 percent. In some circumstances they’re at 60 percent, in other circumstances 20 percent, that cannot be.”
What Happens Next
The upcoming talks on Saturday may give clearer direction, with Iran meanwhile bolstering military capabilities in response to U.S. threats of war.