Iran and the US completed a second round of negotiations on Saturday to reach an agreement on the Tehran nuclear program, according to Iranian state media.
The delegations, led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghi and the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, gathered in Rome, with Oman acting as a mediator, and met for just over three hours.
The first round of discussion was held in Mascate, the capital of Oman, a week ago. A third round is expected to take place next week, Iranian Irna agency said.
A spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that his country was engaging in the negotiations “with open eyes” and a “commitment to diplomacy”. He added that negotiations should remain indirect, similar to the first round, with each side exchanging notes through the mediator.
Although Iran and the US considered the first round of constructive negotiations, they later conflicted on their respective demands and the limits of a possible agreement, as well as an apparent disagreement on where negotiations should occur.
On April 15, Witkoff stated that Iran should dismantle its uranium enrichment program, hours after claiming that the country could continue with low level enrichment for civil use. Iran criticized change, reiterating that its enrichment capacity was non -negotiable.
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Negotiations were also preceded by a visit to Tehran [bloomberg.com] From the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, who warned that time was running out to reach a resolution for the impasse of years.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, met with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday before the negotiations, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also met with Grossi.
Araghi said Tehran is seeking a reasonable agreement and intends to eliminate any doubts about the peaceful nature of his nuclear program, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Italy has maintained narrow ties with Iran a long time ago, even amid sanctions and tensions with the west in general. Its embassy in Tehran is among the most important in the Middle East, and Rome traditionally seeks mediation and dialogue rather than confrontation with the Islamic Republic.
The relationships were tense last year, after Iran arrested Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, starting a complex case of hostage diplomacy involving an Iranian citizen arrested in Milan under a US warrant. Both were finally released after negotiations with Washington.
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