Muscat, Oman - President Donald Trump's administration recently began holding diplomatic talks with Iran as tension builds over the country's nuclear program.

According to the AFP, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi "briefly spoke" face to face on Saturday.

Araghchi told Iranian state television that an agreement "can be reached as soon as possible" but "will require a willingness on both sides."

"At today's meeting, I think we came very close to a basis for negotiation," Araghchi explained. "Neither we nor the other party want fruitless negotiations, discussions for discussions' sake, time-wasting or talks that drag on forever."

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In 2015, Iran, the US, and several other world powers signed a nuclear deal that placed significant restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

In 2018, Trump withdrew from the deal, and Iran has since ignored any limitations on its program.

Last month, Trump warned that "bad, bad things" would happen if Iran did not agree to a new deal from his administration.

In a statement, the White House described the recent talk as "very positive and constructive" and "a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome."

According to the statements from both countries, the next round of discussions is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 19.