Iran says nuclear talks ‘difficult but useful’, US ‘encouraged’

AFP | Muscat

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman yesterday with no apparent breakthrough in a public standoff over enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations.

This was the fourth round of talks that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Both sides had reported progress in the previous three rounds, and on Sunday Iran said the meeting was “difficult but useful” while a senior US official said Washington was “encouraged”.

In a post on X, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the talks could help “better understand each other’s positions and to find reasonable and realistic ways to address the differences”.

Baqaei earlier said negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions.

The US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was “encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future”, without specifying when.

Baqaei said that the “next round will be coordinated and announced by Oman”.

According to the US official, the talks were “both direct and indirect, and lasted over three hours”.

“Agreement was reached to move forward” and “continue working through technical elements”, the official added.

Iran entered the talks saying that its right to maintain uranium enrichment was “non-negotiable”, while Washington’s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a “red line”.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Tehran’s delegation, said in a video before departing for the Omani capital Muscat that “enrichment capability is one of the honours” of Iran, which has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons.

The fourth round that took place on Sunday was initially scheduled for May 3 but has been delayed, with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons”.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity -- far above the 3.67% limit set in the 2015 deal with Washington and other world powers, but below the 90% needed for weapons-grade material.