US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will fly to Rome on Friday to pursue a new series of nuclear talks with Iran, a source close to the talks said on Thursday. The Rome session will be the fifth round of discussion between the two countries in an attempt to solve old differences regarding Tehran’s nuclear aspirations.
The source, who requested anonymity, said Witkoff will be joined by a senior State Department officer, Michael Anton, who had earlier represented the US in such talks. The nature of negotiations will be a combination of direct and indirect talks, as has been the case in previous talks.
The latest round of diplomacy follows increased tensions after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy officials in Washington. The incident was on the top of the agenda during a phone conversation between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, also when they touched upon the Iran nuclear question.
Trump feels the talks with Iran are “in the right direction,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing. The administration is seeking an agreement that would bar Iran from enriching uranium, a message reiterated by Witkoff in a recent TV appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
But Tehran has firmly dismissed the request. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Washington’s stance “excessive and outrageous,” questioning the prospect of a successful deal. His comments, cited by state media, highlight the widespread disagreements that persist between the two parties.
Despite the failures, both Washington and Tehran seem eager to keep negotiating, although the route to any new accord is far from certain.
The result of the Rome talks may profoundly influence future US-Iranian relations and further impact the overall regional balance in the Middle East.
