ROME – Iran and the United States prepared Saturday for a second round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program in Rome
The upcoming discussions in Italy during Easter weekend will once again focus on key figures such as U.S. billionaire Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Mideast envoy of President Donald Trump, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The success or failure of these high-stakes negotiations largely depends on whether these two individuals can find common ground.
The fact that these discussions are taking place at all marks a significant moment in history, especially considering the longstanding hostility between the United States and Iran dating back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. Following Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal with global powers in 2018, a series of attacks and negotiations ensued but failed to reinstate the agreement, which had originally imposed strict limitations on Tehran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions.
The talks carry implications for the potential of military action, including American or Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, as well as Iran’s own threats to develop nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the region is grappling with escalating tensions triggered by events such as the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip and U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, which resulted in casualties and injuries.
“I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump said Friday. “I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote Saturday on the social platform X that Iran “always demonstrated, with good faith and a sense of responsibility, its commitment to diplomacy as a civilized way to resolve issues.”
“We are aware that it is not a smooth path but we take every step with open eyes, relying also on the past experiences,” he added.
Araghchi, Witkoff both traveled ahead of talks
Both men have been traveling in recent days. Witkoff had been in Paris for talks about Ukraine as Russia’s full-scale war there grinds on. Araghchi will be coming from Tehran, Iran, after a visit to Moscow where he met with officials including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia, a member of the world powers involved in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, could be a key participant in any future deal reached between Tehran and Washington. Analysts suggest Moscow could potentially take custody of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated the first round, already has arrived in Rome and met with his Italian counterpart on Friday. Baghaei said al-Busaidi again mediate between the countries.
Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West. Muscat hosted the first round of negotiations between Araghchi and Witkoff last weekend, which saw the two men meet face to face after indirect talks.
Iran seeks a deal to steady troubled economy
Iran’s internal politics are still inflamed over the mandatory hijab, or headscarf, with women still ignoring the law on the streets of Tehran. Rumors also persist over the government potentially increasing the cost of subsidized gasoline in the country, which has sparked nationwide protests in the past
Iran’s rial currency plunged to over 1 million to a U.S. dollar earlier this month. The currency has improved with the talks, however, something Tehran hopes will continue.
Meanwhile, two used Airbus A330-200 long sought by Iran’s flag carrier, Iran Air, arrived to Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday, flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed. The planes, formerly of China’s Hainan Airlines, had been in Muscat and re-registered to Iran.
The aircraft had Rolls-Royce engines, which include significant American parts and servicing. Such a transaction would need approval from the U.S. Treasury given sanctions on Iran. The State Department and Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under the 2015 deal, Iran could purchase new aircraft and had lined up tens of billions of dollars in deals with Airbus and Boeing Co. However, the manufacturers backed away from the deals over Trump’s threats to the nuclear accord.
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
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