The United States and Iran held hours of expert talks in Oman over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, ending with a promise for more discussions and possibly another high-level meeting next weekend.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the negotiations as “very serious and work-focused,” saying that the parties exchanged written points throughout the day. A senior US administration official called the talks “positive and productive,” but noted that “there is still much to do” before a deal can be reached.
The discussions, which took place in Muscat, Oman, were led by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-e Ravanchi and a US technical team headed by Michael Anton. The US has sought to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting some economic sanctions.
A major explosion at a port in southern Iran occurred just after the talks began, killing four people and injuring over 500 others. However, officials ruled out the blast being caused by oil or gas industry activities.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached, but he also expressed hope that negotiations could lead to a new nuclear deal. Iranian officials have warned that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
The talks are the latest in a series of efforts to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, which has been at the center of decades of tensions between the US and Iran. The 2015 nuclear deal between world powers limited Tehran’s program, but Trump withdrew from it in 2018, setting off years of attacks and tensions.
The talks will continue next week with a high-level meeting provisionally scheduled for May 3.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-nuclear-talks-oman-f2e4ecf49c62c11a0240153d7f900d0d