US touts progress in nuclear talks with Iran, third round of negotiations to come

The U.S. and Iran have agreed to satisfy for a 3rd spherical of talks later this week in Muscat, Oman, after they met in Italy with Omani intermediaries to debate Iran’s nuclear program on Saturday.

Particulars of the negotiations haven’t been launched and any concrete progress in ending Iran’s nuclear program stays unclear, although a senior administration official informed Fox Information that “excellent progress” had been made.

“Immediately, in Rome, over 4 hours in our second spherical of talks, we made excellent progress in our direct and oblique discussions,” the official mentioned Saturday. “We agreed to satisfy once more subsequent week and are grateful to our Omani companions for facilitating these talks and to our Italian companions for internet hosting us at this time.”

TRUMP SAYS IRAN MUST DITCH ‘CONCEPT OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON’ AHEAD OF MORE TALKS

An Iranian newspaper with a canopy photograph of Iran’s Overseas Minister Abbas Aragchi and U.S. Center East envoy Steve Witkoff, in Tehran, April 12, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia Information Company) by way of Reuters)

Stories prompt that Center East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi sooner or later within the negotiations spoke face-to-face, the second time in as many weeks.

However the negotiations haven’t solely been “direct” between Washington and Tehran as President Donald Trump earlier this month insisted they’d be, which Iran flatly rejected – suggesting some type of compromise was reached concerning the format of the discussions.

What Witkoff mentioned instantly together with his Iranian counterpart stays unknown.

Araghchi additionally expressed some optimism in his assessment of the negotiations from Italy, although his perspective appeared barely extra muted.

“Comparatively constructive environment in Rome has enabled progress on rules and goals of a doable deal,” he wrote in a post on X. “We made clear what number of in Iran imagine that the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] JCPOA is now not adequate for us. To them, what’s left from that deal are ‘classes realized.’ Personally, I are likely to agree.” 

COL. RICHARD KEMP DOUBTS TRUMP NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN WILL ‘ACHIEVE WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACHIEVED’

 Technicians work inside a uranium conversion facility on March 30, 2005, close to Isfahan, Iran. (Getty Pictures)

“The initiation of professional stage observe will start in coming days with a view to hammer out particulars,” Araghchi mentioned. “After that, we will probably be in a greater place to evaluate. For now, optimism could also be warranted however solely with an excessive amount of warning.”

It stays unclear how this spherical of negotiations to finish Iran’s nuclear program will differ from the unique JPCOA, an Obama-era nuclear deal which Trump deserted throughout his first time period, although the president and different safety specialists have voiced a sense of urgency find an answer within the very close to future. 

However in line with retired Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox Information senior strategic analyst, many safety specialists are watching these negotiation attempts with “actual concern” as a result of “Iran in 2025 shouldn’t be the Iran in 2015 when that first nuclear deal was made.”

Secretary of State John Kerry, third from left, and different U.S. officers meet with EU and Iranian officers for nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, June 30, 2015. (Pool/Siamek Ebrahimi/Anadolu Company/Getty Pictures)

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“The distinction is that Iran has the aptitude to fabricate superior centrifuges which might enrich uranium from zero to weapons grade in only a matter of weeks,” Keane mentioned.

Basically, this implies the U.S. should not solely persuade Iran to eliminate its near-weapons-grade enriched uranium – sufficient to provide five nuclear weapons if additional enriched – but additionally dismantle its manufacturing capabilities.

“The opposite factor that’s completely different in 2025 – they’ve ballistic missiles that may ship the weapon,” Keane added. “It stays to be seen what’s going to be within the deal.”