Rome (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Saturday, Iran and the United States will engage in a new round of nuclear discussions in Rome, aiming to address their longstanding conflict regarding Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. This comes amid President Donald Trump’s warning of potential military action should negotiations falter.
As reported by Reuters, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will engage in indirect negotiations via an Omani official who will relay messages between them, as reported by Iranian officials. This follows a first round of indirect discussions in Muscat that both parties referred to as constructive.
At the conclusion of the first round, Araqchi and Witkoff had a brief interaction. However, officials from both countries have not engaged in direct negotiations since 2015, during the presidency of Barack Obama.
Araqchi has arrived in Rome, according to sources. He expressed in Moscow on Friday that Iran believes it can reach an agreement on its nuclear programme with the U.S. is possible as long as Washington acts realistically.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that Tehran has “always demonstrated, with good faith and a sense of responsibility, its commitment to diplomacy as a civilised way to resolve issues.” “We understand that this is not a straightforward journey, but we proceed deliberately, drawing on past experiences,” Esmaeil Baghaei remarked.
Are Iran and U.S. ready for compromise?
This week, Iran’s highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed that he was “neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic. ” Meanwhile, Trump informed reporters on Friday:
“I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.”
Will Trump’s pressure derail diplomacy again?
Trump, who abandoned a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran and six powers during his first term in 2018, has reinstated severe sanctions on Tehran. Since resuming his presidency in January, he has intensified his “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran. Washington aims for Iran to cease the production of highly enriched uranium, which the U.S. suspects is intended for nuclear weapon development.
What does Iran asserts?
Tehran, asserting that its nuclear programme is peaceful, expresses a willingness to negotiate certain limitations in exchange for lifting sanctions, but seeks solid guarantees that Washington will not backtrack again.
Since 2019, Iran has violated and exceeded the uranium enrichment limits set by the 2015 deal, generating stocks that far exceed what the West considers necessary for a civilian energy programme.
Iran additionally refuses to negotiate over its defence capabilities, including its ballistic missile program and the range of domestically-produced missiles. Russia, a signatory to Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement, has proposed “to assist, mediate, and play any role” that could be advantageous to both Iran and the U.S.
