TEHRAN: Despite increasing pressure from Washington, Iran announced on Friday that it is giving diplomacy a “genuine” chance in its unexpected nuclear talks with the United States in Oman.

The talks between Iran and the United States, longtime adversaries, are scheduled for Saturday in Muscat. The aim is to explore the possibility of reaching a nuclear agreement. This announcement follows President Donald Trump’s surprising statement on Monday that his administration would begin negotiations with Iran.

Esmaeil Baqaei, the foreign ministry spokesman, stated in a post on X, “We are giving diplomacy a genuine chance in good faith and full vigilance. America should appreciate this decision, which was made despite their hostile rhetoric.”

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will lead the discussions.

Trump mentioned that the talks would be “direct,” but Araghchi clarified that they would be “indirect.”

Washington has continued its “maximum pressure” policy through sanctions on Iran leading up to the meeting, with recent targets including Iran’s oil network and nuclear program.

Trump stated on Wednesday that military action against Iran was “absolutely” possible if the talks did not yield a deal.

Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Thursday that such threats could lead to actions such as expelling UN nuclear watchdog inspectors from Iran.

Washington responded by calling this potential move “an escalation and a miscalculation on Iran’s part.”

These talks follow a letter sent by Trump to Khamenei last month, urging negotiations and cautioning about potential military action if Tehran refuses.

Tehran responded weeks later, expressing openness to indirect negotiations but dismissing the possibility of direct talks while the United States maintains its “maximum pressure” policy.

Baqaei stated that Iran would “neither prejudge nor predict” the outcome of the talks.

“We intend to assess the intentions and seriousness of the other side on Saturday and adjust our next moves accordingly,” Baqaei added.