Tehran Signals Progress as Second Round of US Nuclear Talks Looms

Iran on Monday signalled what it described as a more “realistic” shift in the United States’ stance on Tehran’s nuclear programme, ahead of a second round of negotiations between the two countries.

Speaking to the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that discussions held so far in Muscat indicated a change in Washington’s approach.

“A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,” Baqaei said.

He added that Iran’s “inalienable rights” under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) had been acknowledged, particularly regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment.

Tehran and Washington are scheduled to hold a second round of negotiations on Tuesday. The talks, which resumed earlier this month, follow a collapse in diplomatic efforts during last year’s Iran-Israel conflict.

In June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a 12-day war during which both Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The escalation further complicated already fragile diplomatic channels between Tehran and Washington.

Ahead of the upcoming negotiations, Baqaei stressed that lifting longstanding US sanctions remains a top priority for Iran, as the measures have significantly strained the country’s economy.

“Time is of the essence for us. Our people are under the pressure of oppressive sanctions, and reason and logic demand that we lift these sanctions as soon as possible,” he said.

Among the key sticking points in the talks is Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. Prior to the conflict, enrichment levels had reportedly reached 60 percent purity. Washington has repeatedly urged Tehran to reduce enrichment levels to zero.

On Sunday, Israel also reiterated its position, calling for Iran to have “no enrichment capability” and demanding that all enriched material be transferred abroad as part of any potential agreement.