Tehran/Muscat: Iran and the United States are set to reconvene for a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks on Sunday in Muscat, Oman, following a postponement earlier this month. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed the development on Friday, stating that negotiations are progressing steadily.
“The negotiations are moving forward, and naturally, the further we go, the more consultations and reviews are needed,” Araqchi said in remarks broadcast by Iranian state media. “The delegations require more time to examine the issues that are raised. But what is important is that we are on a forward-moving path and gradually entering into the details.”
This new round of talks follows heightened tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 nuclear accord — a multilateral agreement intended to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has since warned that the U.S. could use military force if a new agreement is not reached.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, is expected to represent the United States at the upcoming negotiations, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The 2015 nuclear agreement, now largely defunct after the U.S. withdrawal, had been a cornerstone of international efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Western countries claim Iran has ramped up its uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels since the deal’s collapse, while Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are strictly for peaceful, civilian purposes.
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In an interview with Breitbart News, Witkoff emphasized the U.S. stance: “If that’s how they feel, then their enrichment facilities have to be dismantled. They cannot have centrifuges. They have to downblend all of their fuel that they have there and send it to a faraway place — and they have to convert to a civil program if they want to run a civil program.”
The fourth round of negotiations was originally scheduled for May 3 in Rome but was delayed due to “logistical reasons”, according to Oman, which has been serving as a mediator between the two nations.
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Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi announced on Friday that following coordination with both sides, the talks would proceed in Muscat on Sunday.
As part of broader diplomatic efforts, Araqchi also announced plans to visit Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He described these visits as part of “continuous consultations” with regional neighbors aimed at addressing “their concerns and mutual interests” surrounding the nuclear issue.
