Oman: United States and Iran achieve significant progress in negotiations, will meet again soon

(Patria) - The United States and Iran achieved significant progress in negotiations on Thursday aimed at resolving the long-standing nuclear dispute and preventing new American attacks, said mediator Oman, amid a major military buildup by Washington in the Middle East.

The parties plan to continue negotiations after consultations in their respective capitals, and technical-level talks are scheduled for next week in Vienna, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said in a post on social network X after the talks concluded in Switzerland.

Any significant step towards an elusive agreement between long-time adversaries Washington and Tehran could reduce the immediate prospects of US President Donald Trump launching an attack on Iran that many fear could escalate into a wider war.

The Omani minister's optimistic assessment followed indirect talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Geneva, with one session in the morning and another in the afternoon.

"We have concluded the day after significant progress in the negotiations between the United States and Iran," al-Busaidi said.

Describing the talks as some of the most serious Iran has had with the US, Araghchi told Iranian state television: "We have reached an agreement on some issues, and there are differences regarding some other issues."

"It was decided that the next round of negotiations will be held soon, in less than a week," he said, adding that the Iranians clearly expressed their demand for sanctions relief.