Iran and US hold new meeting on Tehran's nuclear program
Iran's foreign minister expressed hope that the latest round of talks with the United States will lead to a "decisive point" in resolving issues over Tehran's nuclear program.
A woman walks past a mural near the former US embassy in Tehran.
The United States and Iran began a new round of negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program in Oman on Sunday, according to local media reports.
Facing the Iranian delegation, Foreign Minister Abas Araqchi will negotiate in Muscat with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, in a context marked by Washington's demand that Tehran halt all uranium enrichment.
A few hours before the fourth round of high-level talks began, the Iranian foreign minister declared that his country's right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable.
"Enrichment capability is one of the honors and achievements of the Iranian nation," the foreign minister said in a video released shortly before the start of the meeting.
The Iranian foreign minister also expressed hope that this new meeting with the U.S. would mark a “decisive point” in the negotiations.
Without diplomatic ties since 1980, Iran and the United States have held three rounds of talks since April 12, mediated by Oman, in an effort to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
This round of negotiations comes ahead of a regional tour by Trump, who is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
New agreement to prevent Iran from developing an nuclear weapon
The meetings aim to finalize a new agreement that would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon in exchange for the lifting of the numerous sanctions currently crippling its economy.
Last week, U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that the negotiations were "on the right track," while Foreign Minister Araqchi highlighted the "progress" made in previous meetings.
In 2015, Iran and six countries—the United States, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany—reached a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program. However, the agreement lost momentum when President Trump withdrew from it in 2018 during his first term.
Iran disengaged from the commitment
Since returning to the White House, President Trump has intensified pressure on Tehran through the imposition of sanctions and the threat of military intervention if these negotiations fail to yield results.
Meanwhile, European governments are weighing whether to activate a mechanism in the 2015 agreement that would allow UN sanctions to be reinstated if Iran does not comply with its commitments. This option, however, expires in October.
U.S: If negotiations "are not productive, they will not continue."
In an interview broadcast on Friday, Steve Witkoff stated that the Trump administration opposes any form of uranium enrichment in Iran. This marks a shift from his previous stance, where he had shown some flexibility in allowing low-level enrichment.
"This means dismantlement, a ban on weaponization and that Natanz, Fordo and Ispahan (the three enrichment facilities) have to be dismantled," he told Breitbart News.
He also warned that if the negotiations "are not productive on Sunday, then they won’t continue and we’ll have to take a different route."
The negotiations are unfolding amid intense scrutiny of key elements of Tehran's nuclear program, particularly its stockpile of fissile material and the speed of its enrichment activities.
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