US and Iran agree on third round of nuclear talks in Oman on April 26
Representatives of the US and Iran will hold a third round of talks on Iran's nuclear program on April 26 in Oman, discussing the results of technical consultations.
Photo: KHAMENEI.ir, CC BY 4.0
Rome. Iran and the US have agreed to hold a third round of negotiations on the nuclear program on April 26 in Oman. This was announced by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who clarified that the meeting will take place at the same location as the first round — in Muscat.
According to him, three days before the main meeting, on April 23, technical consultations at the expert level will begin in Oman, aimed at preparing detailed proposals for a possible agreement.
Araghchi emphasized that the current stage of negotiations is taking place in a “relatively positive atmosphere,” and the parties have reached greater mutual understanding on the key principles and objectives of the deal.
He noted that doubts remain in Iran about restoring the previous agreement — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — as many believe that all that remains of it are “lessons learned.”
The US delegation, led by President Biden’s special representative Steve Witkoff, has not yet commented on the outcomes of the consultations held in Rome.
At the same time, Araghchi expressed cautious optimism, stating that a true assessment of the situation will only be possible after the experts’ work is completed.
He also believes that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), led by Rafael Grossi, with whom he previously met in Tehran, can play a key role in the ongoing process.
It should be recalled that the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) is an agreement between Iran and the “P5+1” countries on limiting Iran’s nuclear program. The group includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the US, Russia, China, the UK, and France — as well as Germany.
In 2018, the US withdrew from the agreement and imposed additional sanctions, after which Iran began partially rolling back its commitments.
In 2022, the IAEA detected uranium traces at undeclared sites, and later it became known that Iran had enriched uranium to a level of 60%.