Iran and the United States are scheduled to resume talks later this week in Rome to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme, both countries confirmed on Wednesday.
The dialogue, mediated by Oman, marks the fifth round of discussions since April 12 and represents the most significant diplomatic engagement between the two nations since former US President Donald Trump exited the 2015 nuclear agreement during his first term.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced the upcoming session via a post on X, while Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed Tehran had accepted Oman’s proposal for another meeting in the Italian capital on Friday.
These negotiations aim to forge a new deal that would limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. While the United States and other Western nations have consistently accused Iran of aiming to develop nuclear weapons, Iran has maintained that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed skepticism about the talks, stating, “We don’t think it will lead to any outcome. We don’t know what will happen,” and described the refusal to acknowledge Iran’s right to enrich uranium as “a big mistake.”
His comments followed those of US lead negotiator Steve Witkoff, who said in a May 9 interview with *Breitbart News* that, “An enrichment programme can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That’s our red line. No enrichment.”
In response, Iran has reiterated that uranium enrichment is “non-negotiable.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared on Sunday that Iran would continue enriching uranium “with or without a deal.” Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60 percent purity—far beyond the 3.67 percent cap set in the 2015 deal, though still below the 90 percent level needed for weaponization.
The 2015 nuclear deal had provided Iran with sanctions relief in return for international monitoring and restrictions on its nuclear activities. After the US withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil and banking sectors, Iran began retreating from its obligations under the agreement.
Meanwhile, the European signatories of the 2015 accord—Britain, France, and Germany—are considering whether to invoke the “snapback” mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions due to Iran’s non-compliance. That option is set to expire in October.
Earlier this month, Araghchi warned of “irreversible” consequences should the European powers proceed with reimposing sanctions.
What you should know
Iran and the US are preparing for another round of nuclear talks, with Rome as the venue and Oman acting as mediator.
The discussions aim to revive negotiations on curbing Iran’s nuclear activities, although tensions remain high due to conflicting red lines, especially over uranium enrichment.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM VERILY NEWS
