US‑Iran nuclear talks: Oman emerges as key mediator
The second round of talks between the United States and Iran regarding Tehran's nuclear programme has begun in Rome. The meeting is taking place at the Oman Embassy, and the negotiations include the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
On Saturday, in Rome, at the Oman Embassy, the second round of talks between the United States and Iran began concerning the Iranian nuclear programme. The negotiations include Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The mediator in these talks is Oman's Foreign Minister, Badr al-Busaidi.
Second round of US-Iran talks. Oman’s crucial role
The meeting in Rome is a continuation of discussions that took place a week earlier in Oman’s capital, Muscat. Italian media report that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is also present in Rome.
The talks are being conducted in an indirect format, meaning that the parties are in separate rooms, and communication between them is managed by Oman’s Foreign Minister.
The first high-level meeting in eight years took place on 12 April. It is worth recalling that President Donald Trump, during his first term, withdrew the United States from the 2015 agreement, which provided for the easing of sanctions on Iran in exchange for limiting its nuclear programme. Following the USA's withdrawal, Iran exceeded the permissible limits of uranium enrichment, which raised Western concerns about Tehran's potential pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Western concerns
The West accuses Iran of enriching uranium to levels exceeding civilian needs, which may indicate an effort to acquire nuclear weapons. However, Tehran consistently denies these accusations, asserting that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
