The United States and Iran engaged in detailed discussions on a potential nuclear agreement on Saturday during their third consecutive round of talks, aiming to ease regional tensions. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the negotiations, which included technical-level discussions between experts from both sides. The meetings, held via mediators in Muscat, the capital of Oman, lasted over seven hours according to Iranian officials and state media, with experts reaching “minute details” concerning mutual demands and expectations. Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi, confirmed that a fourth round is scheduled for next Saturday, with a high-level meeting provisionally set for 3 May.
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The objective of the talks is to secure an agreement that would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons — a pursuit Tehran denies — in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions. Discussions reportedly took place in a “serious atmosphere”, although Iran’s defence and missile capabilities were not addressed. A separate statement from Iranian negotiators clarified that the conversations remained strictly focused on sanctions and nuclear matters. US President Donald Trump, who withdrew from the previous 2015 multilateral agreement, has recently indicated he would prefer a diplomatic deal over military intervention, though he reiterated that the threat of force remains if diplomacy fails.
The negotiations were conducted with the delegations placed in separate rooms, communicating through Omani hosts. Araghchi expressed “cautious optimism”, suggesting that if the United States’ sole demand is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, then an agreement is possible. However, he warned that impractical demands could impede progress. These talks coincided with a large explosion at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port, resulting in casualties, though Iranian officials attributed the blast to a storage fire rather than any sabotage linked to the negotiations.
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Meanwhile, Washington imposed fresh sanctions on Iran’s oil sector shortly before the latest talks, which Tehran condemned as “hostile”. The UN’s nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, has also pressed Iran to explain new tunnel constructions near the Natanz nuclear site, highlighting continued international concerns. Tensions remain high as the October deadline approaches for European powers to consider triggering the snapback mechanism, which could automatically reinstate UN sanctions. Iran, for its part, has warned that such a move could lead it to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, escalating the stakes further.
