The United States and Iran are scheduled to meet on Saturday in Oman for a third round of discussions regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, following announcements by both sides of progress made during recent meetings in Rome.
اضافة اعلان
These meetings, mediated by Oman, come after two previous rounds of indirect negotiations— the first held on April 12 in Muscat, and the second on April 19 in Rome.
This marks the highest level of contact between the two rivals since former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major world powers.
The talks will be led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The two sides will also hold a technical meeting at the expert level.
The meetings will not be held simultaneously; technical discussions will take place first, followed by high-level negotiations, according to Iran’s state television.
Both Iran and the United States described last Saturday’s talks at the residence of the Omani ambassador in Rome as having resulted in "progress."
Tehran characterized the meeting as “positive.”
The Omani Foreign Ministry stated that the Rome meetings “resulted in agreement to move to the next stage of discussions aimed at reaching a fair, lasting, and binding agreement that ensures Iran remains completely free of nuclear weapons, while fully lifting sanctions and safeguarding its right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
"Hostile Sanctions"
Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons—an accusation Tehran consistently denies, insisting its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes only.
This week, Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s position, stating, “If the United States' sole demand is that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, that demand is achievable.” He added, “If they have other, impractical or illogical demands, then naturally we will encounter problems.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy, reimposing sanctions on Iran, following the same strategy he pursued during his first term.
In an interview with Time magazine published Friday, Trump warned that the U.S. "would lead" an attack on Iran if negotiations over its nuclear program fail to produce a new agreement.
In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei offering negotiations but simultaneously threatening military action if diplomacy failed.
On Tuesday, Washington announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s oil network, a move Tehran described as a sign of a “hostile approach” just days before Saturday's talks in Oman.
During Trump's first term, Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, which had offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi called on Iran Wednesday to clarify the reasons for newly constructed tunnels near its Natanz nuclear facility, expressing hope that the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations would yield positive results.
The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based think tank, released satellite images Wednesday showing a new deep tunnel near a previously existing one around Natanz, along with additional security measures.
Grossi stated he could not rule out that the tunnels were intended for storing undeclared materials but emphasized he did not want to speculate.
Tehran has yet to comment on the findings.
An “Unnegotiable” Right
In an interview published Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington's firm opposition to Iran enriching uranium.
Speaking on the "Honestly" podcast, he said, “If Iran wants a civilian nuclear program, they can have it like many other countries do — by importing enriched materials.”
Araghchi, however, described Iran’s right to enrich uranium as "non-negotiable."
Currently, Iran enriches uranium up to 60%, significantly higher than the 3.67% limit set under the 2015 deal, but still below the roughly 90% needed for weapons-grade material.
On Thursday, Araghchi characterized relations with Britain, France, and Germany as "deteriorating" after multiple rounds of nuclear negotiations, but expressed willingness to visit those countries for further discussions on nuclear matters and shared areas of concern.
Posting on X, he stated, "Following recent consultations I conducted in Moscow and Beijing, I am ready to take the first step by visiting Paris, Berlin, and London."
Last week, Rubio urged European nations to make a "crucial decision" on activating the "snapback mechanism" under the 2015 deal, which would automatically reinstate UN sanctions on Iran for non-compliance, though the window to trigger it closes in October.
Iran has warned it may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the snapback mechanism is activated.
— (AFP)
