By Jaime León
Tehran, April 19 (EFE).— Iran and the United States agreed Saturday to advance their nuclear negotiations by holding technical meetings in Oman, following four hours of indirect talks in Rome mediated by Oman’s top diplomat.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abas Araqchi and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff participated in the meeting, held at the residence of the Omani ambassador to Italy.
It marked the second round of such indirect negotiations between the longtime rivals.
Araqchi announced that the next phase will involve technical meetings between nuclear experts in Oman, beginning Wednesday.
The meeting was welcomed by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, who praised the momentum.
“These conversations are gaining momentum, and now even the improbable is possible,” Al Busaidi wrote on X.
The Omani Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that both sides agreed to “initiate the next phase of discussions, aimed at sealing a fair, lasting, and binding agreement that ensures the complete lifting of nuclear-related sanctions for Iran and preserves its right to peaceful nuclear energy development.”
While al-Busaidi offered no further details, Araqchi said he achieved “a better understanding” with the American side, which allows for “moving on to the next stages.”
Following the expert-level talks on Wednesday, Araqchi and Witkoff are scheduled to reconvene on Saturday in Oman to review progress.
Despite cautiously welcoming the outcome, Araqchi urged restraint. “There is no reason for too much optimism or too much pessimism.”
He emphasized that discussions focused solely on the nuclear issue and excluded Iran’s ballistic missile program or its for regional groups such as Yemen’s Houthis or Lebanon’s Hezbollah—long-standing points of contention with Washington.
“All issues discussed were strictly related to the nuclear program,” Araqchi said, adding that dismantling the country’s atomic infrastructure remains a red line for Tehran.
The scope of the discussions has been a sticking point, with recent US statements suggesting possible demands for a broader agreement encoming Iran’s missile capabilities.
The negotiations began last weekend with a meeting in Muscat that both sides described as constructive.
These diplomatic efforts are taking place amid military threats from US President Donald Trump, who said Thursday he has “not ruled out” an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if talks fail.
“We have a little time, but we don’t have much time, because we’re not going to let them have a nuclear weapon, and we’re gonna let them thrive. I want them to thrive. I want Iran to be great. The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. They understand that,” Trump said.
“But with Iran, yeah, if it requires military, we are going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. It will be the leader of that. But nobody leads us. We do what we want to do.”
Since returning to the White House, Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign, imposing six rounds of sanctions aimed at halting Iran’s oil exports.
Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term. The accord, signed with six world powers, placed limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. EFE
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