First Round of Iran-U.S. Talks: Cautious Optimism

Following the conclusion of the meeting on Saturday, April 12, between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Muscat, both sides evaluated the talks as “positive and constructive” and confirmed that discussions would resume next week. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the results promising in an interview:
“We have come closer to a negotiation framework with the U.S. Clearly, neither side is interested in fruitless negotiations, talks for the sake of talking, wasting time, or drawn-out discussions.”

He added:
“We agreed to hold the second round of talks next week, likely on Saturday again. In the next session, we plan to address the general framework that a potential agreement could have and explore how far we can advance this process.”

Meanwhile, the White House released a statement calling the direct meeting between the U.S. President’s special envoy and Iran’s Foreign Minister in Muscat “very positive and constructive,” describing it as “a step forward toward achieving a beneficial outcome for both sides.”
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. President’s special envoy, also commented after the talks:
“We had a very positive and constructive discussion.”
President Donald Trump, in his first reaction to the negotiations, said:
“I think it’s going well, but I don’t want to talk about it until it’s finalized.”

Both parties have agreed to continue negotiations on Saturday, April 19. While the next round will likely be held in a different country, Iran has emphasized that Oman will continue to play a mediating role. According to CNN, the next round will probably take place in Europe.

Iranian newspapers, one day after the talks, featured hopeful and positive headlines about the developments.

Iranian Markets React to the Talks

In response to the positive outcome of the first round of Iran-U.S. talks, Iran’s currency, gold, and stock markets have all shown improvement. The Iranian rial has strengthened against the U.S. dollar, with the exchange rate dropping by approximately 8% compared to recent days. Gold and coin prices have also fallen, with the price of a full Bahar Azadi gold coin decreasing by nearly 100 million IRR. Meanwhile, the Tehran Stock Exchange surged over 54,000 points, and for the first time in 90 days, is nearing the 2.9-million-point mark once again.