The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that there is a technical delegation at a meeting between Iran and the US held in Oman on Sunday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar to prepare for the fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with the US to be held in Oman on Sunday.
The future direction of Iran’s nuclear program, uranium enrichment and sanctions relief remain important issues.
Speaking in Doha on Saturday, Aragut said Tehran would not retreat from “one of our rights” if the US goal is to strip Iran of nuclear rights. Iran claims that the program is for civilian purposes and has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons.
“The US does not want nuclear weapons, but it has set certain conditions to verify that such a position,” said Steve Witkoff, president Donald Trump’s envoy, who will be presenting in the discussions in Oman.
“If that’s how they feel, their concentration facilities need to be demolished. They cannot have centrifugal. They have to down blend all the fuel they have there and send it to a faraway location.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has increased the likelihood that Iran will import rich uranium for private energy.
Araqhchi’s Gulf Tour on Saturday came after Tehran confirmed on his latest Friday:
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusady said on Friday that a delayed talks will progress in Muscat after “coordination with both Iran and the US.” The fourth round, originally scheduled for May 3 in Rome, was postponed after Oman described it as “logistical reasons.”
Continuous conflict over nuclear programme
The talks go against the backdrop of a long-term conflict over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The conference is the latest effort to revive diplomacy after years of tensions have risen.
Successive US administrations have tried to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The sustainable efforts by world powers during the Barack Obama administration reached a peak in a 2015 agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The multilateral agreement has created a framework for Iran to receive much needed relief from international sanctions in exchange for reducing uranium enrichment and submitting it to nuclear facilities inspections.
However, when Trump took over President Obama as President of the United States, he unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal in 2018, causing the deal to collapse.
Some Western countries have argued that Iranian programs, which accelerated after the 2015 deal after the US strike, are aimed at developing weapons. Tehran claims that its nuclear activity is entirely civilian.
Trump himself acknowledged tensions in his policy regarding Iran, and said at the beginning of his second term that Hawkish’s advisors were reluctantly urging him to step up the pressure.
In an interview Thursday, Trump said Iran’s contested nuclear work has been shut down, but he hopes for “full verification” through diplomacy.
“I would rather trade,” rather than watch military action, Trump told conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.
“There are only two options. You’ll either blow it off cleanly or you’ll be blown away maliciously,” Trump said.
Iran’s Gulf Outreach
Arakichi’s trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday is part of what he describes as “continued consultations” with nearby provinces.
He said the visit was intended to address “concerns and mutual benefits” regarding the nuclear issue.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghhai confirmed the presence of a technical delegation at the meeting in Oman on Saturday.
In an interview with Mehr News, Baghaei said the Iranian delegation consists of experts and experts related to the current stage of negotiations. He did not comment on the US team.