Third round scheduled: Iran and US conclude "constructive" second round of nuclear talks
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iran's state television reported that the second round of talks between Iran and the US in Rome concluded "successfully."
The talks, which began on April 12 in Oman, were led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Iranian state television described the atmosphere as "constructive."
The discussions focused on Iran’s nuclear program, a long-standing point of tension between Tehran and Western nations. According to The Wall Street Journal, the talks also aimed to establish a timeline for future negotiations and possibly lay the groundwork for a new agreement. A third round of talks is scheduled to take place next Saturday.
Before traveling to Rome, Araghchi expressed Iran’s willingness to seek a peaceful resolution on the nuclear issue. In a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Araghchi stated that an agreement was possible if Washington approached the matter with realism.
Israeli officials, however, have cautioned Washington that the US-Iran talks should not progress toward an agreement without guarantees that Iran will not acquire the capability to produce nuclear weapons.
Earlier on Saturday, Ali Shamkhani, a political advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, confirmed that Iranian negotiators had been granted "full discretion" in the talks. Shamkhani emphasized that Iran's negotiators had been sent to Rome with a mandate to pursue a "comprehensive" agreement based on nine core principles.
These principles, according to Shamkhani, include "seriousness, assurance, balance, the removal of sanctions, the rejection of the Libya/Emirates model, avoidance of threats, speed, the containment of nuisances (such as Israel), and the facilitation of investment." He added, "Iran is there for a balanced agreement, not to surrender."
The ongoing negotiations were initiated following a letter from US President Donald Trump to Ayatollah Khamenei, requesting that negotiations be opened between Tehran and Washington. Trump had unilaterally withdrawn the US from a previous nuclear agreement with Iran in 2018, prompting Iran to seek new discussions regarding its nuclear future. Ayatollah Khamenei subsequently authorized the indirect negotiations.
