ROME (AP) —
Iran
and the United States got ready on Saturday for a second session of talks over
Tehran’s swiftly progressing nuclear program
in Rome
The discussions in Italy during the Easter weekend once more will center around
American billionaire Steve Witkoff, who serves as the Middle East envoy for President Donald Trump, along with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
If these two individuals manage to discover shared interests during the critical discussions, it might determine whether the negotiations lead to triumph or collapse.
The fact that discussions are taking place signifies a historical turning point, considering the decades of hostility between the two nations since.
the 1979 Islamic Revolution
and
U.S. Embassy hostage crisis
. Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, setting off years of attacks and negotiations that failed to restore the accord that drastically limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
At risk is a possible American or Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, or the Iranians following through on their
threats to seek an atomic weapon
. Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have spiked over
The conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip
Following U.S. air strikes aimed at Yemen’s Iranian-supported Houthi insurgents
killed more than 70 people
and wounded dozens more.
“I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump said Friday. “I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote Saturday on the social platform X that Iran “always demonstrated, with good faith and a sense of responsibility, its commitment to diplomacy as a civilized way to resolve issues.”
“We understand that this isn’t an easy journey, but we’re taking each step with our eyes wide open and leaning on our previous experiences,” he said additionally.
Both Araghchi and Witkoff traveled before the negotiations began.
In recent days, both individuals have been traveling. Witkoff had been to Paris.
for talks about Ukraine
as Russia’s full-scale war there grinds on. Araghchi will be coming from Tehran, Iran, after
a visit to Moscow
where he met with officials including
Russian President Vladimir Putin
.
Russia, a member of the world powers involved in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, could be a key participant in any future deal reached between Tehran and Washington. Analysts suggest Moscow could potentially take custody of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated the first round, already has arrived in Rome and met with his Italian counterpart on Friday. Baghaei said al-Busaidi again mediate between the countries.
Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long served as
an interlocutor between Iran and the West
. Muscat
hosted the first round of negotiations
Between Araghchi and Witkoff last weekend, when the two individuals had a direct encounter following indirect discussions.
Iran aims for an agreement to stabilize its tumultuous economy.
Iran’s domestic politics remain heated over
the mandatory hijab
, or headscarf, as women continue to disregard the legal requirements in the streets of Tehran. There are also speculations about the government possibly raising the price of subsidized gasoline, an issue that has previously led to widespread demonstrations across the nation.
Iran’s rial currency plummeted to
more than 1 million to a U.S. dollar
Earlier this month, the currency showed improvement due to the discussions; nevertheless, this is what Tehran wishes to persist.
At the same time, two previously utilized Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which Iran’s national airline, Iran Air, had been eagerly awaiting, landed at Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on Thursday, according to flight tracking information reviewed by The Associated Press. These airplanes, once part of China’s Hainan Airlines fleet, were originally based in Muscat before being reregistered for use in Iran.
The plane was equipped with Rolls-Royce engines that incorporate substantial components made in America along with their maintenance. Any such deal would require clearance from the U.S. Treasury due to sanctions against Iran. Neither the State Department nor the Treasury promptly replied when asked for comments.
As part of the 2015 agreement, Iran was permitted to buy new planes and had arranged for this acquisition.
tens of billions of dollars in deals with Airbus and Boeing Co.
Nevertheless, the manufacturers retreated from the agreements due to Trump’s threats regarding the nuclear deal.
___
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, provided additional reporting for this story.
