Fresh negotiations between Iranian and US officials regarding disputes over Iran’s nuclear program concluded in Oman, with plans for further discussions, as Iran publicly reaffirmed its commitment to continue uranium enrichment.
While both countries have expressed a preference for diplomacy to resolve the long-standing nuclear dispute, they remain significantly divided on various critical issues that negotiators must navigate to achieve a new nuclear agreement and prevent potential military action.
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, noted that the most recent round of “indirect talks was challenging yet beneficial in gaining a clearer understanding of each nation’s stance.”
In a post on the X platform, he mentioned that the next round’s timing and location would be determined by Oman.
“We are optimistic about today’s outcome and anticipate our next meeting, which will occur soon,” the official stated.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Mr. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff conducted the fourth round of discussions in Muscat, mediated by Oman, despite the US maintaining a tough public stance that Iranian officials believe hampers the negotiations.
On Thursday, Mr. Witkoff informed Breitbart News about Washington’s red line: “No enrichment. That implies dismantlement, no weaponization,” necessitating the total dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities located in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
“If they are not fruitful on Sunday, then they won’t proceed, and we may need to choose a different path,” Mr. Witkoff commented regarding the discussions.
Trump’s Middle East visit
The fourth round of talks took place prior to Mr. Trump’s Middle East visit.
Mr. Trump, who has threatened military intervention against Iran should diplomacy fail, reinstated a “maximum pressure” strategy upon returning to the White House in January.
In response to Mr. Witkoff’s remarks, Mr. Araqchi asserted that Iran would not yield on its nuclear rights, which encompass uranium enrichment.
Iran is open to negotiating some limitations on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, according to Iranian officials, but any reduction in its enrichment program or yielding its stockpile of enriched uranium are among “Iran’s non-negotiable red lines” in the discussions.
A senior Iranian official associated with the negotiating team stated that US demands for “zero enrichment and the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities would not facilitate progress in the talks.”
“What the US articulates publicly contrasts with what is communicated in negotiations,” the official remarked, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Furthermore, Iran has categorically ruled out negotiations regarding its ballistic missile program, and the clerical establishment insists on concrete assurances that Mr. Trump will not abandon a nuclear agreement again.
Mr. Trump withdrew from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear accord with six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reinstated stringent sanctions that have severely impacted Iran’s economy.
Iran, which has consistently claimed its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, has violated the nuclear limitations of the 2015 agreement since 2019, significantly increasing its uranium enrichment to nearly 60% purity, close to the approximately 90% level considered weapons-grade, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
