ROME:
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 between the foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.
Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons — an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.
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”.
