Today's Edition
Rome (AFP)
The United States and Iran concluded a second round of high-stakes talks on Tehran's nuclear programme on Saturday, agreeing to meet again in a week for further discussions.
The Oman-mediated talks in Rome lasted about four hours, Iranian state television reported, describing the atmosphere as "constructive".
"The two sides agreed to resume indirect talks at a technical level over the next few days and subsequently continue at the level of two senior negotiators next Saturday," April 26, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.
Oman said the third round would be in Muscat, returning to the site of the first talks a week ago.
Those were the first discussions at such a high level since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.
After Saturday's talks, Oman's foreign ministry said Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had agreed to keep negotiating.
The talks, it said, "aim to seal a fair, enduring and binding deal which will ensure Iran (is) completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions, and maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy".
It said the talks are "gaining momentum and now even the unlikely is possible".
Araghchi called the discussions a "good meeting" that yielded progress.
"This time we managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goals," he told Iran's state TV.
Baqaei said the delegations had been "in two different rooms" at the Omani ambassador's residence, with Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi passing messages between them.
"I'm not in a rush" to use the military option, Trump said Thursday. "I think Iran wants to talk."
On Friday, Araghchi said Iran "observed a degree of seriousness" on the US side during the first round but questioned their "intentions and motivations".
