Trump team holds 'constructive' face-to-face nuclear talks with Iran, will meet again next weekend

American and Iranian officials sat down for a archetypal circular of nonstop talks Saturday successful Oman, a large measurement aft years of rising tensions and stalled diplomacy that volition proceed with further discussions adjacent weekend, according to a connection released by the White House. 

The gathering betwixt U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was the archetypal face-to-face speech since President Donald Trump returned to bureau arsenic Iran continues to grow its atomic program.

The White House described the discussions arsenic "very affirmative and constructive," adding, "the United States profoundly acknowledgment the Sultanate of Oman for its enactment of this initiative."

Witkoff, joined by U.S. Ambassador to Oman Ana Escrogima, told Araghchi Trump had personally instructed him to effort to resoluteness differences done diplomacy, if possible. 

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Steve Witkoff, White House peculiar envoy for the Middle East, met with Iranian officials Saturday. (AP/Ben Curtis)

The talks took spot connected the outskirts of Oman’s capital, Muscat, and lasted conscionable implicit 2 hours. Omani Foreign Minister Said Badr hosted the meeting. 

Iranian authorities TV aboriginal confirmed the sides exchanged respective rounds of messages, and determination was a short, nonstop speech betwixt the American and Iranian diplomats.

Military unit appears to beryllium a large crushed Iran came to the table. Rebecca Grant, a elder chap astatine the Lexington Institute, told the "Fox Report" Saturday the U.S. has sent a wide awesome by moving almighty subject assets into the region.

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"All the options are not lone connected the table. They're each deployed to the Middle East," Grant said. "Somewhere betwixt 4 and six B-2 stealth bombers [are] guardant successful Diego Garcia, [along with] 2 craft carriers. That has truly gotten Iran’s attention."

Grant said Iran present faces a choice. 

"Iran either has to speech oregon get their atomic facilities bombed," she said.

Tensions betwixt the 2 countries person been precocious since 2018, erstwhile Trump pulled the U.S. retired of the 2015 atomic deal. 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Donald Trump (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA; Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)

That statement placed strict limits connected Iran’s atomic program. Since then, Iran has been enriching uranium astatine overmuch higher levels. The latest study from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity, conscionable beneath weapons-grade, and has stockpiled implicit 18,000 pounds of it. Under the archetypal deal, Iran was constricted to 3.67% purity and a overmuch smaller stockpile.

While U.S. quality agencies bash not judge Iran has started gathering a atomic weapon, they pass the state is getting person to being capable to bash truthful if it decides to.

Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News subject analyst, said Iran’s leaders present judge Trump is superior astir utilizing subject unit if they don’t hold to bounds Iran's atomic program.

"They’ve travel to the decision that the president is dormant superior astir supporting an Israeli-led, U.S.-supported onslaught connected Iran to instrumentality down their atomic enterprise," Keane said.

An Iranian antheral holds an anti-U.S. poster during a rally successful downtown Tehran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Grant explained that the U.S. and its allies are acceptable for specified a onslaught if talks fail. 

"Israel took retired a batch of Iran’s aerial defenses past year," she said. "Then you person 2 [U.S.] carriers, land-based fighters successful the portion and B-2 bombers with bunker-busting bombs. That’s the menace display."

She added that Iran has nary existent request to enrich uranium since it tin bargain atomic substance connected the unfastened market. 

"It is clip for them to commencement to marque a deal," she said. "And I think, maybe, owed to our subject unit and Trump’s resolve, they’re opening to recognize it."

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has said he’s not unfastened to nonstop negotiations connected the atomic programme but has besides blamed the United States for breaking past promises. 

"They indispensable beryllium that they tin physique trust," Pezeshkian said successful a caller Cabinet meeting.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warned of consequences if threats continue. 

"Violence breeds violence, bid begets peace," helium wrote connected societal media. "The US tin take the course... and concede to consequences."

Iran launches a medium-range ballistic rocket called Hayber (Hurremshahr-4) May 7, 2023. (Iranian Defense Ministry/Hanodut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News nary woody tin hap unless Iran gives up its atomic weapons plans. 

"We person to fully, verifiably destruct their atomic weapons programme for determination to beryllium immoderate agreement," helium said. "All we inquire is that they behave similar a mean nation."

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Grant said immoderate aboriginal woody volition request strict terms. 

"It’s going to person to see existent inspections," she said. "It’s going to person to see them giving up, frankly, immoderate of that enriched uranium. There volition person to beryllium immoderate limits connected their ballistic rocket development."

The 2 nations are scheduled to conscionable again April 19 successful Oman, according to the White House statement.

Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.