Iran denies Trump's claim of 'direct talks' with US over nuclear programme

Iran, wrong-footed by Donald Trump's revelation that "direct talks" with the US on Iran's nuclear programme are set to start in Oman on Saturday, insisted the talks would be in an indirect format but added the intentions of the negotiators were more important than the format.

- Patrick Wintour

Trump threw Tehran off guard on Monday by revealing the plan for the talks and saying that if the discussions failed Iran would be in "great danger". There has been an unprecedented US military buildup across the Middle East in recent weeks, and Trump's decision to make the talks public appears designed to press Iran to negotiate with urgency.

The US delegation to the talks will be led by Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, who has also been involved in talks with Russia over the Ukraine war; and the Iranian side by its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi.

Iran had been stalling in public, saying it was prepared for indirect talks with the US, but had not yet received a formal response from the US as to whether they would go ahead. In a post on X issued some hours after Trump used an Oval Office press conference to reveal the agreement to stage weekend talks, Araghchi described the talks as an opportunity and a test. He insisted the ball was in the US's court.