The United States and Iran are set to continue negotiations next week regarding Tehran’s accelerating nuclear program, following reported progress during high-level discussions held in Rome on Saturday.
A U.S. official confirmed that during the Rome meeting, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met directly with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — a notable development in what have largely been indirect negotiations.
Ahead of the next round of talks, scheduled to take place in Oman on April 26, Araghchi stated that technical-level meetings would occur in the interim. These expert discussions are expected to focus on the finer details of a potential agreement, signaling that the negotiations may be entering a more substantive phase. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s push for a swift resolution, even as military threats remain on the table.
A senior U.S. official described the Rome discussions as having made “very good progress” on both direct and indirect fronts, though they spoke anonymously due to the confidential nature of the talks.
Echoing that sentiment, Araghchi shared on social media that the parties had advanced “on principles and objectives of a possible deal.” However, he urged caution, noting that while optimism may be justified, it should be tempered.
Speaking on Iranian state television, Araghchi expressed hope that the upcoming technical meetings would place both nations in a “better position” to move forward.
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