ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The international community on Friday welcomed the first round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, stressing the need for deescalation.

The Omani capital Muscat on Friday hosted top Iranian and American diplomats for indirect talks on Iran’s nuclear program, marking the first time the two sides have sat down for negotiations since June last year.

During a presser, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan affirmed Riyadh’s support for the ongoing talks.

“We will support the talks that are happening… The US is expressing real serious intent to find a pathway to negotiate a solution, and the Iranians have also made such a commitment, so we will wish them all success in those efforts,” said the Saudi top diplomat.

Egypt also announced its support for the Tehran-Washington talks.

“Egypt affirms that it will continue, through joint coordination with our brothers in the regional countries, to support efforts aimed at reaching an agreement on the Iranian nuclear file that serves the interests of both negotiating parties and the entire region,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turkey and Qatar also reiterated calls for reaching an agreement “through dialogue and peaceful means.”

Anitta Hipper, lead spokesperson for EU foreign affairs said in a presser in Brussels, that the bloc “is convinced that diplomacy and negotiations remain the only way to achieve a lasting solution.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes the talks “will help reduce regional tensions and prevent a broader crisis,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

The US and Iran engaged in several rounds of nuclear talks last year, but the negotiations came to a halt when Israel launched large-scale airstrikes on Iran in June.

Friday’s talks came amid heightening tensions between Tehran and Washington, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to militarily intervene if Iran continues killing protesters amid the ongoing nationwide protests.

Iranian authorities have delivered a heavy-handed response to the protests, killing, injuring, and arresting tens of thousands of people. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported that Iranian security forces have killed more than 6,800 protesters and arrested over 50,000 since the demonstrations began in late December.