After military strikes, US planning to restart nuclear talks with Iran in Oslo next week: Report

White House envoy Steve Witkoff is planning to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oslo next week to restart nuclear talks, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. The sources said that a final date for the meeting has not been set, and neither has there been any official confirmation of the engagement. But if the meeting takes place, it would be the first direct talks since President Donald Trump ordered an unprecedented military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month. “We have no travel announcements at this time,” a White House official told Axios, while the Iranian mission to the UN also declined any comment.
Witkoff and Araghchi have been in direct contact during and since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which ended in a US-brokered ceasefire, according to the sources. Officials from Oman and Qatar have also been mediating between the two sides.

The Iranians were reluctant to engage with Washington after the US strikes, but that position has gradually softened.

Nuclear stockpile, IAEA inspections to be key Issues

The key issue in any talks will be Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which includes 400 kilogrammes enriched to 60%. Israeli and US officials claim that the material is currently “sealed off from the outside” inside the three nuclear sites—the enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow, and the underground tunnels at Isfahan—attacked in the joint strikes.

Iran is unable to access the stockpile for now due to damage, but it could be recovered once the rubble is cleared.

Iran announced earlier this week that it has started implementing a new law passed by parliament that suspends all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran committed to NPT, says Aragchi

However, Araghchi wrote on X on Thursday that Iran remains committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its Safeguards Agreement.

“In accordance with the new legislation by [parliament], sparked by the unlawful attacks against our nuclear facilities by Israel and the US, our cooperation with the IAEA will be channeled through Iran’s Supreme National Security Council for obvious safety and security reasons,” he wrote.