US President Donald Trump posted on Monday a surprise that the United States and Iran were ready to start direct conversations on the Tehran nuclear program, but a senior Iranian official said that all negotiations would be indirect with Oman’s acting as an intermediary.

In a further sign of a difficult path that is before the arrangement of two geopolitical enemies, Trump issued a sharp warning that if the conversations are not successful, “Iran will be in great danger.”

In recent weeks, Iran has pulled back against Trump’s demands to negotiate directly about his nuclear program or bombarded, and it seemed to be held on Monday, saying that he only agreed to interviews, which will probably be held in Oman.

“We have direct conversations with Iran, and they started. It will go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting and we will see what can happen,” Trump told reporters in an oval office while talking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“And I think everyone agrees that it would be desirable to make an agreement,” Trump said. Trump said Saturday’s conversations with Iran would be at a very high level, but they refused to elaborate. He also refused to say where the conversations would be held, but he highlighted the possibility that the deal could be reached.

Years since direct conversations

The US and Iran have held indirect conversations during the presidential term of Joe Biden, but they have made little progress. The last known direct negotiations of the two governments were under President Barack Obama, who led the 2015 International Nuclear Agreement, which Trump later left.

Trump said he would love the Iranian nuclear program more about a military conflict, and he said on March 7 that he wrote the Supreme Leader of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to suggest conversations. Iranian officials said at the time that Tehran would not be harassed in negotiations.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if the conversations are not successful, I actually think it will be a very bad day for Iran,” Trump said in an oval office on Monday.

Such conversations would not appear without the explicit approval of Khamenei, who said in February that negotiations with the US are not “smart, wise or honorable”.

A few hours before Trump’s announcement, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmail Baghaei said Iran is waiting for an answer in the US at the proposal of Tehran for indirect negotiations. He said the Islamic Republic believed it was a generous, responsible and honorable offer.

After Trump spoke, a senior Iranian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said to Reuters: “The conversations will not be direct … He will be with Oman’s mediation.” Oman, which maintains good relations with the USA and Iran, was a longtime messages for messages between rival states.

Iranian Nournews, associated with the highest safety body in the country, described Trump’s statement on a planned direct meeting as part of “psychological surgery aimed at impact on domestic and international public opinions”.

Another Iranian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that there may have been a window of about two months over the weekend to reach an agreement, stating that Iranian longtime enemy Israel could start his own attack if conversations last longer.

We have withdrawn us from work

During his first term Trump pulled now From the 2015 agreement between Iran and the world forces intended for the suppression of Iranian sensitive nuclear work in exchange for relief of sanctions. Trump also restarted the movement of American sanctions.

Since then, Iran far has surpassed the limitations of that job to enrich Uranus.

Western forces accuse Iran of having a secret agenda for the development of nuclear weapons ability to enrich the uranium to high levels of fissil purity, above what they say is justified for the civilian energy program.

Tehran says its nuclear program is completely in civil energy purposes.

The White House National Council did not immediately respond to the detail request.

The shift comes in an insecure time for the Tehran regional “resistance person”, which he has established over the decade at a high price to contradict Israel and the influence of the US. The axle is seriously weakened by the Palestinian Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, overturned the Middle East into a conflict.

Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon has been knocking Israel since the war in Gaza began, while the Houthhi movement in Yemen was on the target of American air attacks since last month. Israel badly damaged Iranian air defense last year.

Drop Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, another key Iranian ally, further weakened Iranian influence.