Irans foreign minister said Tehran and Washington believe nuclear talks should resume soon following indirect negotiations in Oman, even as Tehran ruled out discussions on its missile program and uranium enrichment.

Abbas Araqchi told Qatars Al-Jazeera television on February 7 that both sides agreed the discussions should resume soon, adding that there was no agreed timeline for the next meeting.

While he said that Tehran was open to reaching a deal, Araqchi added that issues over Iran's missile program and uranium enrichment were nonstarters for future negotiations.

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Neither now nor in the future can negotiations be held over missiles because this is a defensive issue," he said. The issue of banning enrichment is not negotiable from Irans point of view."

Araqchi added that Iran would respond to any potential US attack: "If Iran is attacked, we will target US bases in the region."

The comments from Araqchi came a day after delegations from Tehran and Washington held talks mediated by Oman, and after US President Donald Trump said the discussions were very good.

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While neither side announced concrete outcomes, both suggested that negotiations over Irans nuclear program could continue in the near term.

Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We have to see what that deal is, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"The fact that the talks didn't fail and the two sides did not leave the negotiating table shows that maybe they felt enough common ground or that both sides put some concessions on the table that were attractive enough for both sides to continue the talks," Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

The talks took place amid an American military buildup in the Middle East. Tensions have been heightened by more than two weeks of unrest in Iran, during which authorities launched a crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands of civilians.