Top Iranian and US negotiators held a third round of talks in as many weeks in Oman on Saturday to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, as US President Donald Trump signaled confidence in his ability to seal a new pact that would block Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb.
The talks ran for several hours in Oman, whose Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said after the meeting that the negotiations will continue with a fourth round next week. Iran and the US “identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments,” al-Busaidi posted on X. “Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed. Talks will continue next week with a further high level meeting provisionally scheduled for May 3.”
A person close to Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, acknowledged that the meeting had started and later ended. The source spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks. Iranian state television also reported their conclusion. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei earlier told Iranian state TV that the Iran’s defense capabilities and missile program were not on the agenda for Saturday’s talks. “The question of defense capacities and the country’s missiles is not [on the agenda] and has not been raised in the indirect talks,” the spokesperson said. (Read More)
