Iran and the United States will hold more negotiations next week over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, Iranian state television reported Saturday at the end of the first round of talks between the two countries since President Trump returned to the White House.

Iranian state TV also said U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi "briefly spoke in the presence of the Omani foreign minister" at the end of the talks, marking a direct interaction between the two nations locked in decades of tensions.

The two sides spoke for over two hours at a location on the outskirts of Oman, ending the talks around 5:50 p.m. local time. The talks began at around 3:30 p.m. local.

The White House said Witkoff was joined by U.S. Ambassador to Oman Ana Escrogima for the talks, which it described to be "very positive and constructive."

"Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations' differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible," the White House said Saturday in a statement. "These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff's direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome."

Mr. Trump told reporters Saturday evening that the talks with Iran are "going okay" but declined to give further details.

"Nothing matters until you get it done," he said.

The stakes of the negotiations couldn't be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program if a deal isn't reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

Talks took place Saturday afternoon in Oman
AP journalists saw a convoy believed to be carrying Witkoff leave the Omani Foreign Ministry on Saturday afternoon and then speed off into the outskirts of Muscat. The convoy went into a compound and a few minutes later, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote on the social platform X that the "indirect talks" had begun.

"These talks will be held at a location planned by the Omani host, with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States seated in the halls and sides, conveying their points of view and positions to each other through the Omani Foreign Minister," Baghaei wrote.

About an hour later, Baghaei appeared on Iranian state television and acknowledged the talks had been going on all that time.

"The objective of the Islamic Republic of Iran is very clear — we have only one goal, and that is to safeguard Iran's national interests," he said. "We are giving a genuine and honest opportunity to diplomacy, so that through dialogue, we can move forward on the nuclear issue on one hand, and more importantly for us, the lifting of sanctions."

Baghaei added: "Look, this is just a beginning. So it is natural that, at this stage, both sides will present their foundational positions through the Omani mediator. Therefore, we do not expect this round of negotiations to be lengthy."

Araghchi earlier spoke to Iranian journalists.

"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 had 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 doesn't mean, by the way, that at the margin we're not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries."

He added: "Where our red line will be, there can't be weaponization of your nuclear capability,"

Sanctions relief and enrichment remain top issues
While the U.S. side can offer sanctions relief for Iran's 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, Tehran's 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 won't 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.

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