Indirect talks between American and Iranian teams regarding Tehran’s nuclear ambitions took place in Rome.
According to an RT source, the U.S. delegation aimed to present Iran with “realistic” demands during the Omani-mediated discussions held in Rome on Saturday.
The delegations, headed by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, engaged in indirect communication, with Omani mediators relaying messages between them. The talks occurred two weeks after then US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with “bombing” if a nuclear agreement wasn’t reached.
A source with knowledge of the discussions told RT that “the American delegation attempted to formulate its demands in a realistic manner during the second round of negotiations.”
A U.S. official told CBS News, “We achieved significant progress in our direct and indirect discussions.”
Araghchi stated on X that the “relatively positive atmosphere in Rome facilitated progress on the principles and goals of a potential agreement.” He also mentioned that many in Tehran feel the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, is “no longer sufficient for us.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA during his term, accusing Iran of secretly violating the terms of the agreement. Trump reinstated sanctions against Iran and formally continued his “maximum pressure” strategy in February. Iran has denied any violations but has since reduced its commitments under the JCPOA, including increasing its uranium enrichment activities.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Saturday that “Iran’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful, and Iran is prepared to address any concerns in this regard.”
According to the Iranian foreign minister, technical experts are scheduled to meet before the next round of negotiations between Witkoff and Araghchi in Oman on April 26.
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