Productive talks for Iran, promising signals for US

The United States and Iran concluded a fourth round of nuclear negotiations in Muscat on Sunday, without announcing a breakthrough but expressing cautious optimism. Amid growing U.S. opposition to Iran's uranium enrichment, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held another series of talks through the Omani mediator.

This took place ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East, which will lead him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16.

"The fourth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States is over. Difficult but useful discussions to better understand each other's positions and find reasonable and realistic ways to overcome differences," said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqhai on X.

"We are encouraged by the results of today's discussions and look forward to our next meeting, which will take place in the near future," a senior U.S. official said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the discussions "which were once again direct and indirect, lasted more than three hours." Just before the talks, Araghchi reaffirmed that his country's right to uranium enrichment was "non-negotiable."

The Omani mediator reported "useful and original ideas" during the Muscat talks between Washington and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear program.

"The exchanges included useful and original ideas reflecting a willingness to reach an honorable agreement. The fifth round will take place once both parties ... have consulted their leaders," Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Boussaidi said on X.

Pursuing another path

Steve Witkoff warned Friday that the Trump administration would oppose any enrichment. "That means dismantling, banning militarization, and that Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan (their three enrichment facilities) must be dismantled," he told conservative media outlet Breitbart News.

As for the talks, "if they are not productive on Sunday, they will not continue and we will have to pursue another path," he warned.

The talks aim to conclude a new agreement intended to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has always denied, in exchange for lifting sanctions that cripple the Iranian economy.

Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60%, well beyond the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 agreement, while a 90% rate is required for military use. Its fossil fuel stocks concern Western powers.

The world's most dangerous

Iran said it would demand the lifting of sanctions and the recognition of its right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes during Sunday's negotiations.

"Pressure is a tactic used in negotiations; it serves as leverage but deeply affects the atmosphere of talks," Yousuf Al Bulushi, who chairs the Omani think tank Muscat Policy Council, told AFP. He estimated that "it will still take time (for a breakthrough), but (he) remains optimistic."

An agreement concluded in 2015 between Iran and major powers to oversee the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions became obsolete after the United States withdrew in 2018 during Trump's first term.

Western countries, led by the United States and Israel, suspect Iran of seeking to acquire a nuclear weapon, but Tehran claims its program is for civilian purposes.

The 2015 agreement provides for the reimposition of international sanctions in the event of Iran's non-compliance with its commitments, an option that expires in October.

In the meantime, Donald Trump has revived his so-called "maximum pressure" policy on Iran, targeting the oil sector in particular, and is urging the Islamic Republic to negotiate while threatening to bomb it if diplomacy fails.

Israel has stated that Iran, its sworn enemy, should not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. "The most dangerous regime must not obtain the most dangerous weapon in the world under any circumstances. Its uranium enrichment facilities must be dismantled," said its foreign minister Gideon Saar.

Iran and the United States, which have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, have held three negotiation sessions since April 12 under Omani mediation.