by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Iran and the United States held a second round of nuclear talks Saturday in Rome, where both sides agreed to begin drafting a potential deal. Iran’s foreign minister confirmed the move, while a U.S. official reported “very good progress.”
The talks, which lasted over four hours and were held at the Omani Embassy, were conducted indirectly and mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led their delegations. The negotiators remained in separate rooms, continuing the format used in previous rounds.
A Trump administration official confirmed to Reuters that the two sides will meet again next week, stating, “Today, in Rome, over four hours in our second round of talks, we made very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions.”
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who led the Rome talks, aims for a deal within 60 days. Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi remains skeptical, pointing to deep mistrust and the technical complexity of the negotiations.
Trump has expressed interest in negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran but warned he’s prepared to take military action if Tehran refuses. On Thursday, he denied blocking an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. However, he added, “I’m not in a rush to do it.”
Iran entered the talks over the weekend, strengthened by a high-profile visit from the Saudi defense minister to Tehran on Thursday, signaling Riyadh’s opposition to any unilateral U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Danny (Dennis) Citrinowicz, a research fellow in the Iran Program at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and a former member of the IDF’s military intelligence directorate, told Ynet the visit was significant, especially amid the U.S.-led campaign against the Houthis.
“This is the highest-level visit since Saudi Arabia and Iran began normalizing relations,” he said. “It’s important also because of the, perhaps unlikely, possibility of a ground incursion into the port of Hodeida by forces supported by Riyadh — and the significant American troop buildup in the Gulf and potential for a U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
“The Saudis want to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue peacefully,” Citrinowicz stated. “They are deeply concerned about Iran’s nuclear program but would prefer a diplomatic agreement that distances Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and avoids war.”
Omani foreign ministry stated the goal of the negotiations is to reach “a fair, sustainable and binding agreement… to ensure that Iran is completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions, while preserving its right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
The next round of negotiations is set for April 26, following the completion of expert-level meetings in Oman.
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Iran and the United States held a second round of nuclear talks Saturday in Rome, where both sides agreed to begin drafting a potential deal. Iran’s foreign minister confirmed the move, while a U.S. official reported “very good progress.”