Muscat [Oman], May 22: The fifth round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the Iranian nuclear programme will take place on Friday in Rome, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi announced on the platform X on Wednesday. Oman is mediating the talks.
Both sides had initially shown optimism at the start of the discussions. However, after the recent meeting in the Omani capital, Muscat, significant differences emerged.
The United States is demanding that the Iranian government completely halt uranium enrichment, which Washington views as a necessary measure to permanently prevent the development of nuclear weapons. Tehran rejects this demand but is willing to restrict its nuclear programme again and allow stricter checks.
Enrichment is the process of altering the uranium atom to create nuclear fuel.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also said on Tuesday that his country does not need US permission to enrich uranium.
"Saying things like 'We will not allow Iran to enrich uranium' is nonsense," he was quoted as saying by the Mehr News Agency.His statement was in response to the US's lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, dubbing uranium enrichment a "red line" and saying that Washington "cannot allow even 1 percent of an enrichment capability".
At the heart of the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme is the question of its use: While Tehran insists it is solely for civilian purposes, Western governments fear it is aiming to construct a nuclear bomb.
US President Donald Trump recently threatened Iran with military force if no deal is reached. In 2015, Iran had already agreed to restrict its nuclear programme in the Vienna nuclear agreement after lengthy negotiations with China, Russia, the US, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the pact in 2018 during his first term and imposed new, harsh sanctions. Iran in response stopped adhering to the conditions of the deal.
Source: Qatar Tribune
