US, Iran expected to hold talks on 12 April

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister confirmed that a meeting will take place on 12 April, but stressed that the talks will be “indirect”.

<x0Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for high-level but indirect talks,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arghchi said on April 7th on the X platform, shortly after Trump spoke to the talks.

This is an opportunity, but another test. Now the ball is in America's field”, he said, reports Radio Free Europe, broadcast Periscope.

Iran has insisted on indirect negotiations, claiming it will not hold direct talks while the <x0-> maximum pressure” administration's campaign on Tehran is in force.

From the White House, Trump told reporters that talks are taking place “on a very high level, almost the highest”, and stressed there is no mediator.

We'll have a very big appointment, and we'll see what happens. I think that everyone agrees that an agreement would be exhumatory”, Trump said at a surprise press conference along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

If talks with Iran are not successful, I think Iran will be at great risk”, Trump added, insisting that the Islamic Republic should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu briefly supported the idea of an agreement with Libya-like Iran, when Libya agreed to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction programmes.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes and has earlier rejected any possibility of a Libya style deal.

Earlier this month, Trump called for “direct talks with Tehran, saying they are the fastest “” and offer a better understanding than the use of mediators. He then suggested that a new deal with Iran could be various “and perhaps much more powerful” than that of 2015.

He had earlier sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatolah Ali Khamenei, seeking negotiations and warning of military action if diplomacy fails.

Iranian President Masud Peschian on 5 April said Tehran is willing to engage in dialogue on equal grounds. A day later, Arghchi said in a statement that Iran is prepared for indirect talks.

After withdrawing from the nuclear agreement in 2018 during his first term as president, Trump restored sanctions on Iran that had been lifted through the agreement. Iran reacted by accelerating its nuclear programme and currently enrichs uranium at 60 percent, considered near the level of weapons.

Trump has threatened to bomb Iran unless an agreement is reached on his nuclear programme. Iran has warned it will provide a strong “response to any aggression and has suggested it will develop a bomb if attacked.

The US administration has provided mixed signals on whether to limit Iran's enrichment of uranium or fully dismantle Tehran's nuclear programme.

Iran has not commented on Trump's statement that direct talks have already begun.