Iran and U.S. to Resume High-Level Indirect Nuclear Talks in Rome
Iran and the United States will meet for a fourth round of indirect nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman in Rome on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated. The talks will focus on Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. claims is close to 'weaponization'.
'We will not allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon, it simply cannot happen', President Trump stated, while Iran maintaints that its nuclear program is purely peaceful.
Before going to Rome, Iranian officials will separately speak with representatives of Britain, France, and Germany, three of the parties that were involved in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA was an agreement between Iran, the United States and several other world powers that allowed sanctions relief in exchange for restraints on Iran's nuclear activities. The JCPOA collapsed when U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in May 2018.
The previous three rounds in Muscat showed potential, but divisions still persist. European nations are trying to achieve greater compliance to the JCPOA, while Iran and the U.S. are looking for a new deal all together, with Iran demanding assurances against future U.S. withdrawal from any agreement.
We want to reach an agreement that is fair and acceptable to the Iranian nation, and that respects our red lines. For many Iranians, the JCPOA is simply not good enough anymore. The U.S. will have to make concessions if we are to reach a deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi.
According to several credible reports, the United States has privately acknowledged that Iran has the right to develop its conventional defense capabilities, including its ballistic missile program, one of Iran's clear 'red lines'. Additionally, the U.S. is reportedly no longer demanding 'zero enrichment', with Iran stating that uranium enrichment is its inherent right.
If these reports are correct, it shows that the U.S. has made real and tangible concessions to Iran, possibly marking the first real prospect for a new nuclear deal in years.