Iran, US hold new round of high-stakes nuclear talks – World

The United States was expected to begin to haggle for the details of a possible nuclear agreement in Oman on Saturday, since they maintained their third round of conversations in so many weeks.

The special envoy of the United States Steve Witkoff and Foreign Minister Iraní, Abbas Araghchi, directly direct the discussions, which this time include a technical level meeting between experts from both sides.

The conversations are intended to hit a new agreement that prevents Iran to develop nuclear weapons, an objective that Tehran denies pursued, in exchange for relief of paralyzing sanctions.

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, withdrew from an anterior multilateral nuclear agreement during his first term.

Araghchi has expressed “cautious optimism,” saying this week: “If the only demand from the United States is that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons, this demand can be achieved.” But if Washington had “little practical or illogical demands, we will naturally find problems,” he added.

Michael Anton, Head of Planning of Policy of the State Department, leads the United States Expert Delegation, while Deputy Ministers of Attached Kazem Gharibadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi will lead Tehran, according to Iran’s. Tasnim news agency.

Iranian State TV reported that the conversations began around noon of the Odani hour (0800 GMT/1pm PKT).

Iran state news agency IRNA He said that while only one day of conversations was scheduled, “since the negotiations have entered technical and expert level discussions and the examination of the details … [they] can extend if necessary. ”

The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, said that the defense capabilities of Iran and the missile program were not part of the discussions. “The question of defense capacities and the country’s missiles is not [on the agenda]”He told State TV.

Trump ‘would prefer the deal’

Trump, in an interview published Friday by Time The magazine reiterated its threat of military action if an agreement failed. But he added that “I would prefer a deal than the pumps that are eliminated.”

Baqaei said Friday that the new conversations, such as the previous rounds in Muscat and Rome on the two previous Saturdays, would be mediated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar, Badr Albusaidi.

Negotiations are the highest level among enemies for a long time since 2018, when Trump withdrew from the historical 2015 agreement that gave Iran sanctions in exchange for curbs in his nuclear program.

Since he returned to office in January, Trump has restored its policy of “maximum pressure” sanctions against Tehran.

In March, he wrote to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatolá Ali Khamenei, proposing conversations, but also warns about possible military action if diplomacy failed.

On Tuesday, Washington announced new sanctions aimed at the Iranian oil network, a movement that Tehran described as “hostile” before Saturday’s conversations.

The western nations, including the United States, have long accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, an accusation that Tehran has constantly denied. Iran argues that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.

On Wednesday, the UN Nuclear Surveillance Chief Rafael Grossi asked Iran to explain the tunnels built near his Natanz nuclear site, seen in satellite images published by the International Science and Security Institute. The group of experts based in Washington also pointed out the construction of a new security perimeter.

“We ask them, what is this for? They tell us, it is not his business,” Grossi told journalists.

Tehran had no immediate comments.

Right ‘non -negotiable’

In an interview published on Wednesday, the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, reiterated the firm Posture of Washington against the enrichment of Uranium of Iran.

“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one like many other countries in the world have one: and it is that they import enriched material,” he said about him Honestly podcast.

Currently, Iran enriches the uranium up to 60 percent, well above the 3.67PC limit imposed by the 2015 agreement, but still below the 90PC threshold required for the weapons degree material.

Araghchi has previously called Iran’s right to enrich the “non -negotiable” uranium. He said in the text of a speech published in X this week that Iran sought to “build at least 19 more reactors.”

Tehran recently sought to reopen the dialogue with Great Britain, France and Germany, who are also signatory of the 2015 agreement, and maintained several rounds of nuclear conversations before the United States meetings.

Last week, Rubio urged the three European states to decide whether to trigger the “Snapback” mechanism under the 2015 agreement, which would automatically restore UN sanctions to Iran on their breach. The option to use the mechanism expires in October.

Iran has warned that it could withdraw from the nuclear non -proliferation treaty if snapback is activated.



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