Iran and US agree on third round of nuclear talks

Iran and the United States have agreed to hold another round of talks next week over the Middle Eastern country's nuclear ambitions, Iranian state TV reports, as they ended their second round of negotiations in Rome over their decades-long stand-off.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff negotiated indirectly through an Omani official who shuttled messages between the two sides on Saturday, Iranian officials said, a week after a first round of indirect talks in Muscat that both sides described as constructive.

Both sides will begin having experts meet to discuss details of a possible deal over Iran's nuclear program, Araqchi said.

The experts will meet in Oman on Wednesday before Araqchi and Witkoff meet again in Oman on Saturday, he said.

There was no immediate readout from the US side after the meeting at the Omani embassy in Rome's Camilluccia neighbourhood.

The progress made in the meeting was praised by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.

"These talks are gaining momentum and now even the unlikely is possible," al-Busaidi said on X.

In a separate post, Oman's Foreign Ministry said the sides agreed to keep talking to seek a deal that ensures Iran is "completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions, and maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy".

Speaking on state TV after the talks, Araqchi described them as useful and conducted in a constructive atmosphere.

"We were able to make some progress on a number of principles and goals, and ultimately reached a better understanding," he said.

"It was agreed that negotiations will continue and move into the next phase, in which expert-level meetings will begin on Wednesday in Oman. The experts will have the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement."

The top negotiators would meet again in Oman next Saturday to "review the experts' work and assess how closely it aligns with the principles of a potential agreement," he added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iranian state TV immediately after the negotiations that Iran "will continue the path of the talks with seriousness" to see economic sanctions on his country lifted.

"Iran will continue as far as talks go on in a constructive and purposeful way," he added.

Araqchi, in a meeting with his Italian counterpart ahead of the talks, said Iran had always been committed to diplomacy and called on "all parties involved in the talks to seize the opportunity to reach a reasonable and logical nuclear deal".

"Such an agreement should respect Iran's legitimate rights and lead to the lifting of unjust sanctions on the country while addressing any doubts about its nuclear work," Araqchi was quoted as saying by Iranian state media.

He said in Moscow on Friday that Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear program with the US is possible as long as the United States is realistic.

"Rome becomes the capital of peace and dialogue," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X.

"I encouraged (Araqchi) to follow the path of negotiation against nuclear arms. The hope of the Italian government is that all together may find a positive solution for the Middle East."

Iran has however sought to tamp down expectations of a quick deal after some Iranian officials speculated that sanctions could be lifted soon.

Iran's utmost authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this week he was "neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic".

For his part, Trump told reporters on Friday: "I'm for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific."

Meanwhile, Israel has not ruled out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to an Israeli official and two other people familiar with the matter.

with AP and DPA