TEHRAN, Iran
The third round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US in Muscat, mediated by the Omani government, concluded on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said this round was “more serious than before,” and the two sides have “gradually entered more technical details” pertaining to nuclear issues.
“We are now gradually moving from general topics to more specialized issues. Today, we had economic experts present, and I expect that from the next session, an expert from the Atomic Energy Organization will also join,” he added.
Araghchi said the two sides exchanged opinions in writing several times during this round, including submitting written questions and receiving answers, facilitated by the Omani mediators.
It has been decided that further reviews will be conducted in the capitals before the next round of talks, said the top Iranian diplomat and lead negotiator.
The ongoing negotiations with Washington, he added, have given them hope that progress can be made, adding that the Iranian side is “hopeful, but extremely cautious.”
On whether the scope of negotiations has expanded, Iran’s lead negotiator said the subject of the negotiations is nuclear and that Tehran “will not accept negotiating on any other issue.”
He said the other side has “respected” that during the three rounds of indirect negotiations, adding that some of the differences between them are serious and some less serious.
“I think our progress so far has been good. We are satisfied with the course of the negotiations. Both sides are showing seriousness,” Araghchi said.
Delegations of Iran and the US will now return to their capitals for consultations with their respective governments before they reconvene for another round next Saturday.
The venue for the next round of talks will be decided by Oman.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, in a post on X, said the talks on Saturday “identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments.”
“Core principles, objectives, and technical concerns were all addressed. Talks will continue next week with a further high-level meeting provisionally scheduled for May 3rd,” he said.
The talks came a week after the previous round was held in Rome and included diplomatic parleys and technical, expert-level discussions between the two sides.
While Araghchi led the Iranian side, US Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Steve Witkoff led the American side, as in the previous two rounds. The first round was held in Muscat on April 12.
US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran if a new deal is not reached, which would replace the 2015 deal brokered under the Obama administration. He has repeatedly said that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier in the day, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said the third round was being held “in a serious atmosphere, with the parties exchanging their positions and views on both areas of effective sanctions relief and confidence-building regarding the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program/protecting Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy through the Omani side.”
He rejected media reports that the country's ballistic missile program figures in the negotiations.