A newspaper that includes the headline story on oblique negotiations between Iran and america in Muscat, Oman, is displayed at a newsstand in Tehran, Iran, on April 12, 2025.
Fatemeh Bahrami | Anadolu | Getty Pictures
Iran and america plan to fulfill over Tehran’s quickly advancing nuclear program once more subsequent week, after either side mentioned they made progress of their talks Saturday in Rome.
A U.S. official confirmed that at a degree throughout the negotiations in Rome, President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke head to head.
Earlier than they meet once more in Oman on April 26, Araghchi mentioned technical-level talks can be held within the coming days. That specialists can be discussing particulars of a attainable deal suggests motion within the talks and comes as Trump has pushed for a speedy settlement whereas threatening army motion towards Iran.
The edges “made excellent progress in our direct and oblique discussions,” in accordance with a senior Trump administration official who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate a non-public diplomatic assembly.
In a publish on X, Araghchi equally mentioned they made “progress on rules and aims of a attainable deal.” He added, nevertheless, that “optimism could also be warranted however solely with quite a lot of warning.”
He advised Iranian state tv earlier that “I hope that we are going to be in a greater place after the technical talks.”
Whereas the U.S. mentioned each direct and oblique discussions had been held, Iranian officers described them as oblique, like these final weekend in Muscat, Oman, with Omani Overseas Minister Badr al-Busaidi shuttling between them in numerous rooms.
“These talks are gaining momentum and now even the unlikely is feasible,” al-Busaidi mentioned on X.
In a separate publish, Oman’s Overseas Ministry mentioned the edges agreed to maintain speaking to hunt a deal that ensures Iran is “utterly freed from nuclear weapons and sanctions, and sustaining its capability to develop peaceable nuclear vitality.”
That talks are even taking place represents a historic second, given the many years of enmity between the 2 nations for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution and the U.S. Embassy hostage disaster. Trump, in his first time period, unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s nuclear cope with world powers in 2018, setting off years of assaults and negotiations that failed to revive the accord that drastically restricted Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in change for the lifting of financial sanctions.
Talks come as tensions rise within the Mideast
In danger is a attainable American or Israeli army strike on Iran’s nuclear websites, or the Iranians following by way of on their threats to pursue an atomic weapon. In the meantime, tensions within the Center East have spiked over the Israel-Hamas warfare within the Gaza and after U.S. airstrikes focusing on Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels killed greater than 70 folks and wounded dozens extra.
“I am for stopping Iran, very merely, from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump mentioned Friday. “I would like Iran to be nice and affluent and terrific.”
Earlier than the Iran talks began, Witkoff met in Rome with Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the Worldwide Atomic Power Company, in accordance with an individual accustomed to the assembly who spoke on situation of anonymity to share particulars that weren’t made public.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog company would possible be key in verifying compliance by Iran ought to a deal be reached, because it did with the 2015 accord Iran reached with world powers.
In a flurry of gatherings, Grossi additionally met with Italian Overseas Minister Antonio Tajani, who sat down with Araghchi earlier than the U.S.-Iran talks.
A diplomatic deal “is constructed patiently, day after day, with dialogue and mutual respect,” Tajani mentioned in a press release.
Araghchi, Witkoff traveled forward of the talks
Witkoff had been in Paris for talks about Ukraine as Russia’s full-scale warfare there grinds on. He additionally met within the French capital with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategic affairs minister, Ron Dermer, and Mossad chief David Barnea.
Dermer was in Rome on Saturday and noticed on the similar resort the place Witkoff was staying. It was unclear if that was a coincidence, and there was no indication Dermer was a part of the Iran talks.
Araghchi in latest days paid a go to to Moscow, the place he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia, one of many world powers concerned in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, might be a key participant in any future deal reached between Tehran and Washington. Analysts recommend Moscow may probably take custody of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity — a brief, technical step away from weapons-grade ranges of 90%.
Oman’s capital hosted the primary spherical of negotiations final weekend, which noticed Araghchi and Witkoff meet head to head after oblique talks. Oman, a sultanate on the japanese fringe of the Arabian Peninsula, has lengthy served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West.
Forward of the talks, nevertheless, Iran seized on feedback by Witkoff first suggesting Iran may enrich uranium at 3.67%, then later saying that every one enrichment should cease.
Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote on X earlier than the talks that Iran wouldn’t settle for giving up its enrichment program like Libya or agreeing to utilizing uranium enriched overseas for its nuclear program.
“Iran has come for a balanced settlement, not a give up,” he wrote.
Iran seeks a deal to regular a troubled economic system
Iran’s inside politics are nonetheless infected over the obligatory hijab, or headband, with girls nonetheless ignoring the legislation on the streets of Tehran. Rumors additionally persist over the federal government probably rising the price of backed gasoline within the nation, which has sparked nationwide protests previously
Iran’s rial forex plunged to over 1 million to a U.S. greenback earlier this month. The forex has improved with the talks, nevertheless, one thing Tehran hopes will proceed.
In the meantime, two used Airbus A330-200 lengthy sought by Iran’s flag provider, Iran Air, arrived at Tehran’s Mehrabad Worldwide Airport on Thursday, flight-tracking information analyzed by The Related Press confirmed. The planes, previously of China’s Hainan Airways, had been in Muscat and re-registered to Iran.
The plane have Rolls-Royce engines, which embrace important American elements and servicing. Such a transaction would want approval from the U.S. Treasury given sanctions on Iran. The State Division and Treasury didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Beneath the 2015 deal, Iran may buy new plane and had lined up tens of billions of {dollars} in offers with Airbus and Boeing. Nevertheless, the producers backed away from the offers over Trump’s threats to the nuclear accord.
