United States and Iran wrapped up a fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday in Muscat, Oman, before President Donald Trump is due to visit the Middle East. Oman-facilitated three-hour talks come during increased regional tension and threats of military action in case no deal is achieved.
Iranian Foreign Ministry official Esmail Baghaei characterized the negotiations as “useful but hard,” while an American official mentioned that there was both direct and indirect contact, with a consensus to proceed with technical aspects. Iranian state media covered the negotiations but highlighted they were held indirectly presumably because of internal political sensitivities.
The talks are intended to slow Iran’s nuclear progress in return for the relaxation of US sanctions. Tehran remains adamant about its right to enrich uranium, a position reaffirmed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqhchi, who described enrichment as a national right that is “absolutely non-negotiable.”
But US envoy Steve Witkoff has been more confrontational, insisting Iran needs to eliminate its entire enrichment programme, including Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan facilities.
Since Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018, Iran has increased its uranium enrichment to 60% purity short of weapons-grade while tensions in the region, including Israeli threats and Iranian support for Hamas, have added to the complexity.
Domestically, Iran suffers from economic and political pressure with the rial weakly rebounding in light of renewed negotiations. Trump’s two-month ultimatum for a deal, conveyed to Iran’s Supreme Leader by a UAE diplomat, runs out Monday as Trump embarks on a visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
With existing deep differences and time and patience wearing thin, both sides are increasingly under pressure to achieve a breakthrough and avoid a potential war in an already unstable region.
