Iran’s foreign minister announced that Iran and the United States will convene a fourth round of discussions in Rome on Saturday concerning the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme.
The long-standing adversaries have engaged in three rounds of talks aimed at reaching an agreement on the programme, which the West suspects is intended for the development of nuclear weapons — an accusation Tehran vehemently denies.
These talks, which commenced on April 12 and are being mediated by Oman, represent the highest level of engagement between the two nations in several years.
“The next round of negotiations will take place in Rome,” stated Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The top diplomat also indicated that Iranian officials are scheduled to meet on Friday with representatives from Britain, France, and Germany — all signatories to the 2015 nuclear accord.
The agreement stipulated the lifting of sanctions in exchange for Iran’s commitment to curb its nuclear activities. However, the deal collapsed when Washington unilaterally withdrew in 2018 during Donald Trump’s initial term as US president.
Following a threat from France that the European trio might reimpose sanctions, Iran’s UN mission asserted that “threats and economic blackmail” were “entirely unacceptable.”
“Genuine diplomacy cannot proceed under threats or pressure,” the diplomatic mission conveyed in a letter carried on Wednesday by Iran’s ISNA news agency.
In March, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging dialogue and cautioning against potential military action should Iran refuse.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign, mirroring the strategy he employed during his first term.
Tehran has maintained that the ongoing discussions should exclusively address the nuclear issue and the removal of sanctions.
During the most recent round of talks held in Muscat, the Omani capital, on Saturday, both sides reported positive progress.
