Sunday 20 / April / 2025
Muscat: Iran and the United States began their second round of talks in Rome on Saturday. The Sultanate of Oman is facilitating and mediating this meeting in Rome, which has been chosen as the venue for logistical reasons.
The talks are aimed at resolving their decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The negotiations come as former U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran if diplomatic efforts fail.
The discussions are taking place indirectly between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Whitcoff, with the help of Omani officials. This follows a first round of negotiations in Muscat last week, which both sides described as constructive.
Iran has sought to lower expectations of a swift agreement, despite speculation from some officials that sanctions could be lifted soon. Trump told reporters on Friday, "I am absolutely committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great, prosperous, and wonderful."
Trump had previously withdrawn the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers during his first term in 2018, reinstating strict sanctions on Tehran. Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" policy on Iran.
Washington is demanding that Iran halt its production of highly enriched uranium, which it suspects is intended for nuclear weapon development. Tehran, however, maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful and has expressed willingness to negotiate in exchange for sanctions relief, though it insists on guarantees that the U.S. will not renege on its commitments again, as it did in 2018.
Despite mutual pledges to continue diplomacy, significant gaps remain between the two nations on the long-standing dispute. Russia, one of the original signatories of the 2015 nuclear agreement, has offered to mediate and play a role that benefits both Iran and the U.S.
