Rome to Host Another Round of Iran-US Talks

The fifth round of consultations between Iran and the US on resolving differences regarding Tehran’s nuclear program will be held in Rome on May 23, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi said.

"The fifth round of the Iran-US talks will take place in Rome this Friday, May 23," the top diplomat, who mediates the talks, wrote on his X page, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

The US and Iran have held four rounds of talks mediated by Oman. The first round took place in Muscat on April 12; the second, in Rome on April 19; the third, in Muscat on April 26; and the fourth, once again in Oman’s capital, on May 11. The Iranian delegation to the talks is headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the US delegation is led by special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff.

After several attempts to reach a new agreement, the talks were jeopardized by disagreements between the US and Iran regarding uranium enrichment. Washington insists that Tehran abandon uranium enrichment entirely at its nuclear facilities.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful. Since the US withdrew from the nuclear deal, Iran has stopped complying with the 2015 agreement's restrictions, accelerating uranium enrichment to 60%. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran's enrichment level is now close to that required for producing nuclear weapons.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he is prepared to use force if Iran backs down from the agreement.