Iran nuclear deal: Iran, U.S. begin second round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme in Rome

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani meets Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi at the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome, Italy, April 18, 2025, in this still image obtained from a video.
| Photo Credit: Italian Foreign Ministry via Reuters

Iran and the United States will begin having experts meet to discuss details of a possible deal over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme, the top Iranian diplomat said Saturday (April 19, 2025) after a second round of negotiations in Rome.

The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff for several hours, suggest movement in the talks. The experts will meet in Oman before Araghchi and Mr. Witkoff meet again in Oman on April 26, Mr. Araghchi said.

There was no immediate readout from the U.S. side after the meeting at the Omani Embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighbourhood. However, U.S. President Donald Trump has been pushing for a rapid deal with Iran while threatening military action against it.

“The talks were held in a constructive environment and I can say that is moving forward,” Mr. Araghchi told Iranian state television. “I hope that we will be in a better position after the technical talks.” He added: “This time, we succeeded to reach a better understanding about a sort of principles and aims.”

Iranian officials described the talks as indirect, like those last weekend in Muscat, Oman, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi shuttling between them in different rooms.

That talks are even happening represents a historic moment, given the decades of enmity between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.

Mr. Trump, in his first term, unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, setting off years of attacks and negotiations that failed to restore the accord that drastically limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

At risk is a possible American or Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, or the Iranians following through on their threats to pursue an atomic weapon.

Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have spiked over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and after U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels killed more than 70 people and wounded dozens more.

Also Read | Iran FM says has ‘serious doubts’ over US intentions ahead of talks

“I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon,” Mr. Trump said Friday (April 18, 2025). “I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote Saturday (April 19, 2025) on the social platform X that Iran “always demonstrated, with good faith and a sense of responsibility, its commitment to diplomacy as a civilised way to resolve issues”.

“We are aware that it is not a smooth path, but we take every step with open eyes, relying also on the past experiences,” he added.

Mr. Araghchi met Saturday (April 19, 2025) morning with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ahead of “indirect” talks with Mr. Witkoff, Iranian state television reported.

Mr. Araghchi, Mr. Witkoff both travelled ahead of talks Both men have been travelling in recent days. Witkoff had been in Paris for talks about Ukraine as Russia’s full-scale war there grinds on. Mr. Araghchi will be coming from Tehran, Iran, after a visit to Moscow, where he met with officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia, a member of the world powers involved in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, could be a key participant in any future deal reached between Tehran and Washington.

Analysts suggest Moscow could potentially take custody of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Also read: Iran’s nuclear programme | An atomic tug of war

Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West. Muscat hosted the first round of negotiations between Araghchi and Witkoff last weekend, which saw the two men meet face to face after indirect talks.

Iran seeks a deal to steady troubled economy Iran’s internal politics are still inflamed over the mandatory hijab, or headscarf, with women still ignoring the law on the streets of Tehran. Rumours also persist over the government potentially increasing the cost of subsidised gasoline in the country, which has sparked nationwide protests in the past Iran’s rial currency plunged to over 1 million to a U.S. dollar earlier this month. The currency has improved with the talks, however, something Tehran hopes will continue.

Meanwhile, two used Airbus A330-200 long sought by Iran’s flag carrier, Iran Air, arrived at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday (April 17, 2025) flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed. The planes, formerly of China’s Hainan Airlines, had been in Muscat and re-registered to Iran.

The aircraft had Rolls-Royce engines, which included significant American parts and servicing. Such a transaction would need approval from the U.S. Treasury given sanctions on Iran. The State Department and Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under the 2015 deal, Iran could purchase new aircraft and had lined up tens of billions of dollars in deals with Airbus and Boeing Co. However, the manufacturers backed away from the deals over Mr. Trump’s threats to the nuclear accord.