Iran and the United States held their third round of nuclear talks Saturday, April 26, in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The discussions, described by The Associated Press as “in-depth,” were the first to include high-level experts from both countries.
While neither Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi nor his U.S. counterpart, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, commented on the talks, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi announced on X that the two sides have “identified a shared aspiration” to reach an agreement.
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“US Iran talks today identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments,” wrote Al-Busaidi, adding, “Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed.”
Al-Busaidi has acted as a mediator in the ongoing talks, which took place in Oman on April 12, followed by Rome on April 19. The Omani foreign minister added that a fourth phase of negotiations is “provisionally scheduled” for Saturday, May 3.
Where do US demands stand?
The agreement the U.S. was originally looking to broker requires Tehran to keep its nuclear program from reaching weapons-grade capabilities, a position it is close to achieving. In exchange, the U.S. would lift some sanctions that have all but crippled the Iranian economy.
However, Witkoff has offered conflicting demands for Iran in recent weeks. Initially, he said that the Middle East nation could continue enriching its uranium up to 3.67% for civilian use. He later backtracked, saying the country needs to abandon its nuclear program entirely. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also called for a complete end to Iran’s nuclear program, saying instead that the country can import nuclear fuel for its civilian operations.
The two sides had reached an agreement brokered by the Obama administration in 2015 –– commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal –– but President Donald Trump pulled out of that agreement in 2018 during his first term.
Who are the high-level experts slated for May 3 talks?
Citing an Iranian government official, the AP reports that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, who participated in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, will lead the Tehran delegation of nuclear experts. Michael Anton, who currently serves as director of Rubio’s policy planning staff, will lead the Americans.
Speaking on Air Force One Friday, April 25, Trump said, “The Iran situation is coming out very well. We’ve had a lot of talks with them and I think we’re going to have a deal. I’d much rather have a deal than the other alternative. That would be good for humanity.”
Without going into specifics, Trump added that there are “some people” who want a “much nastier deal,” adding, “I don’t want that to happen to Iran if we can avoid it.”
