Iran’s foreign minister believes that after a positive start, talks with the US will continue.

In comments that may help ease fears that a failure to reach an agreement may push the Middle East closer to war, Iran’s top diplomat stated on Friday that nuclear negotiations with the US, mediated by Oman, were off to a “good start” and were expected to continue.

However, following discussions with US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, and himself in the Omani capital of Muscat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that “any dialogue requires refraining from threats and pressure.” (Tehran) solely talks about its nuclear problem. We don’t talk to the US about anything else.

Washington wanted to broaden the discussions to include Iran’s ballistic missiles, support for armed groups in the region, and “treatment of their own people,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, even though both sides have expressed a willingness to resume diplomatic talks over Tehran’s protracted nuclear conflict with the West. Iran maintained on its “right to enrich uranium” during the conversations with the US, according to a regional diplomat Tehran briefed on the talks, who also told Reuters that Tehran’s missile capabilities were not brought up.

Following through on a warning he made last month, Trump increased pressure on Iran on Friday by issuing an executive order imposing a 25% duty on imports from any nation that “directly or indirectly” purchases goods from Iran.

According to the White House, the goal of the action is to discourage third parties from continuing to do business with Iran, especially in the energy, metals, and petrochemicals industries, which continue to be important sources of income for the Iranian government.The diplomat who wished to remain anonymous claimed that although Iran rejected Washington’s insistence that there be no enrichment on Iranian territory, Tehran was amenable to talking about the “level and purity” of enrichment or other options, such as a possible regional consortium.

Iranian demands included “efficient and immediate sanctions relief, including banking and oil, and the moving of U.S. military assets away from Iran.” Iranian officials have stated that Tehran seeks recognition of its right to enrich uranium and have consistently denied discussing Iran’s missiles, which are among the largest such arsenals in the Middle East.

Washington considers it unacceptable to conduct enrichment, a potential route to nuclear weapons, inside Iran. Tehran has consistently rejected any intention to turn the manufacture of nuclear material into a weapon. But according to the envoy, Tehran thought the American negotiators “seemed to understand Iran’s stance on the enrichment.”

Oman’s foreign minister and mediator, Badr al-Busaidi, said the discussions had been “very serious,” and the outcomes will be carefully examined in Tehran and Washington. Reconvening in due course was the aim.

Notwithstanding the discussions, the United States stated Friday that it was imposing sanctions on 15 organizations and 14 shadow-fleet vessels linked to the illegal trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemicals. These sanctions are the most recent economic actions the United States has taken against Tehran and its commerce.A collapse in the talks, according to world powers and regional states, would spark a new battle between the United States and Iran that might spread to the rest of the oil-producing area.

Iran has warned neighboring Gulf Arab nations that are home to American bases that they could be targeted if they are participating in an attack and has promised a severe response to any attack.One of the Revolutionary Guard’s subterranean “missile cities” has been equipped with “one of the country’s most advanced long-range ballistic missiles, the Khorramshahr-4,” Iranian state television stated hours before the negotiations in a defiant display.