Iran and the US negotiate in Rome on the nuclear issue

Published at: 19/04/2025 05:32 PM

The United States and Iran resumed talks on Tehran's nuclear program this Saturday, a week after a first round considered “constructive” by both countries, without diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The second round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States concluded in Rome with a “constructive” atmosphere and a bilateral commitment to hold a third meeting next Saturday 26th in Oman, according to official Iranian sources.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, confirmed the date and place of the third round of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, which returns to the Omani capital, Muscat, where they began a week ago. The minister is scheduled to go to China this week to talk with the authorities of the Asian giant.

Araqchi explained that the new phase includes technical meetings of experts on the Iranian nuclear program in Oman after the meeting, which was praised by Al Busaidi. “These conversations are gaining momentum and now even the unlikely is possible.”

Abbas Araqchi, and the US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said in a statement that both nations “agreed to begin the next phase of their talks, the objective of which is to seal a just, lasting and binding agreement that guarantees Iran the complete release of nuclear weapons and sanctions and that maintains its capacity to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”

The head of Iranian diplomacy considered that today he has managed to reach a “better understanding” with his US counterpart, allowing him to “move to the next stages” with technical meetings between experts on Wednesday in Oman.

After these technical meetings, Araqchi and Witkoff will meet again to evaluate the results of the specialists on Saturday in Oman. Despite this, the Iranian diplomat was cautious: “There is no reason for too much optimism or too pessimism.”

Araqchi assured that during today's talks, only issues related to the Iranian nuclear program were discussed, which would leave out the issue of ballistic missiles in the Persian country, as well as its support for regional groups such as the Houthis in Yemen or the Lebanese in Hezbollah.

Tehran views as a red line all issues related to its nuclear capability, including the dismantling of its atomic program. “The Americans have not raised any issues not related to the nuclear issue,” he stressed.

The scope of the talks has been the subject of dispute between the two sides in recent days, with messages from Washington pointing to total nuclear dismantling or the inclusion of the powerful Iranian missile program.

Iran and the United States began nuclear negotiations last Saturday with a first meeting in Muscat (Oman) that both sides described as constructive. Donald Trump has continued with threats against the Persian country if they do not reach an agreement, as he did on Thursday, stating that he has not ruled out an Israeli plan to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities.

Mazo News Team