The first and second round of talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States on Iran’s nuclear weapons were held in Muscat, the capital of the Gulf State of Oman. The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic
Contradicting reports emerged from Tehran and Washington following the meeting.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei endorsed the outcome of the talks while US President Donald Trump expressed frustration at the slow pace of progress.
Nuclear weapon
Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal is not reached. Iranian officials have warned that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi headed the Iranian delegation. Billionaire real estate developer Steve Witkoff, the Middle East Special Envoy of President Trump represented the United States during the talks. Both parties concluded the first two rounds agreeing to a third round of talks.
The third meeting took place in Rome, the capital of Italy. The same delegations were present. Iran had preferred to hold the talks in Oman, but it seems Rome was the choice of Washington and Tehran then gave the green light.
However, the proposed fourth round has been postponed, it was announced on Friday. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi made the announcement in a post on the social platform X. “For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3,” he wrote. “New dates will be announced when mutually agreed.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also blamed “logistical and technical reasons” for the postponement.
“On Iran’s part, there is no change in our determination to secure a negotiated solution,” he wrote on X. “We are more determined than ever to achieve a just and balanced deal: guaranteeing an end to sanctions, and creating confidence that Iran’s nuclear program will forever remain peaceful while ensuring that Iranian rights are fully respected.”
It was not immediately clear whether this postponement was made to avoid clashing with the Conclave to be held to elect the new Pope, scheduled to begin on May 7 at the Vatican. However, President Trump was not very pleased with the postponement and lashed out at Iran and those countries that buy Iranian oil.
President Trump threatened sanctions on anyone who buys Iranian oil, a warning that came after planned talks over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program were postponed. Trump wrote on social media, “All purchases of Iranian Oil or Petrochemical products, must stop, Now!” He said any country or person who buys those products from Iran will not be able to do business with the United States “in any way, shape, or form.”
Escalating tensions
But his statement risked further escalating tensions with China — Iran’s leading customer — at a time when the relationship is severely strained over the U.S. President’s tariffs.
Prior to the talks, Foreign Minister Araghchi visited Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation probably for consultations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a message from the Supreme Leader was also handed over to President Putin.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi also undertook a visit to Tehran just days before the Rome meeting.
Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman was the last top level Saudi Government official to visit Tehran pertaining to the second round of talks. The visit took place on April 17. The Rome talks even united the two contradicting sects of Islam: the Sunnis and Shiites.
An audience with the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was given to the Saudi Defence Minister. It is believed that Prince bin Salman carried a message from the Saudi King to be delivered to the Supreme Leader. All these signal the importance of the nuclear talks.
The meeting between the US and Iran is of profound interest of world powers as it is interconnected with different issues. The talks take place in the backdrop of a critical political climate.
In many ways, the talks will not be easy and Iran may demand further talks and meetings as a tactic to further enrich uranium for the production of nuclear weapons. In the past, the Islamic Republic was accused of practising such a policy to enrich uranium to reach the targets they wanted.
The extreme warning threats of President Trump are putting pressure on Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. He said that a “radicalised” nation should not have nuclear weapons and wants Iran to cease its nuclear program as Libya’s former leader Colonel Gaddafi did in 2003.
Foreign policy priority
Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons has always been a top foreign policy priority for the United States. However, it was Trump himself who withdrew the US from the six-way Iran nuclear treaty known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA during his first term. Trump walked out saying the deal was the worst negotiated agreement ever in American history and he now wants to walk into the deal using another approach. Critics, however, say that if the agreement was implemented, Iran would have been forced to give up its nuclear weapons development program by around 2020.
The enrichment of uranium was limited to 67 percent as per the JCPOA. The decision made by President Trump may have helped Iran to abandon all limits on its nuclear program. So, indirectly, Trump too holds some responsibility for Iran’s enrichment of uranium.
Some military analysts are confident that Tehran is close to producing a nuclear bomb. It has reached the enrichment level of 60 percent. To produce a nuclear bomb, there should be 90 percent enrichment. Should Iran continue at this speed in one year or so, it will have a nuclear weapon to counter Israel, its biggest adversary.
According to the nuclear watchdog chief Grossi, the situation is critical and Iran may not give up its ambitions unless the crippling US-led sanctions are lifted. And reverting to the 2015 agreement level would be humiliating for the Islamic Republic.
Nevertheless, failing to meet Trump’s terms may have serious and dangerous consequences for Iran in the months ahead. The Islamic Republic has been threatened with further sanctions and air strikes. The American military base in the Indian ocean archipelago Diego Garcia is teeming with fighter jets stationed battle-ready to strike nuclear facility targets in Iran, with the enthusiastic nod of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu. Responding to this, Russia has already stationed its latest combat fighter aircraft to protect Iran, though the two Cold War adversaries may want to avoid a direct confrontation over Iran.
Also just ahead of the talks, American Air Force jets carried out strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are being supported by Iran.
Iran said that its nuclear programs are for peaceful purposes and civil energy projects. The program is rapidly advancing. Some countries favour having a nuclear-armed Iran due to President Trump’s support to Israel for the Gaza War.
The world will probably have to wait until a new Pope is elected to see the commencement of Iran-US talks in Rome, though the two issues have nothing to do with each other.
The writer worked for the former USSR Embassy Information Division in Colombo and holds a Master’s Degree from the Moscow University Institute of Foreign Languages.
