US and Iran agree to another round of talks to end nuclear stand-off

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The American envoy Steve Witkeov and the highest diplomat of Iran will meet again next week, as the Trump administration will pressure the Islamic Republic to agree to an agreement to reverse its nuclear progress.

Wittakov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragichi met in Rome in a second round of critical talks on Saturday aimed at ending the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, which risk stirring up the following conflict of the Middle East.

Araghchi described the meeting for a period of four hours-the mediation of Oman at the residence of the Omani Ambassador in Rome, with delegations in separate rooms-that it is “good” and “aspiration” and was held in a “constructive atmosphere”.

He said that the two sides are expected to meet again next Saturday in Muscat, after “artistic” discussions scheduled for Wednesday in the Arab Gulf state.

“We cannot say that we are optimistic. We are cautious and we have no reason for pessimism,” Aragcha told Iranian government television after the talks. “We hope that by next week, we will be in a better position to assess the possibility of understanding.”

Before the end of this week, US officials gave mixed signals about what President Donald Trump expected on Iran.

Witkoff suggested at the beginning of the week that the United States may be ready to allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium at low levels. But the next day he said that Iran “must stop and remove” the nuclear enrichment program to secure a deal with Trump.

This will be a red line for Ayatollah Ali Khounai, the supreme leader of Iran, who insists that Tehran has the right to enrich uranium under the international non -proliferation treaty.

Iran has expanded the enrichment program since Trump withdrew in its first term of the nuclear agreement signed by Tehran with the Obama administration, the European authorities, Russia and China in 2015.

Under this deal, Iran has agreed to strict restrictions on its nuclear activity, including enriching uranium to levels not exceeding 3.67 percent of purity, compared to sanctions.

But Iran has enriched uranium at levels of up to 60 percent for the past four years and has the ability to produce sufficient explanation materials required for nuclear bombs within weeks.

“Iran does not build a nuclear weapon and that Khameneini did not re -mandate the nuclear weapons program that it suspended in 2003,” said the annual threat assessment report of the US intelligence community last month.

Trump insisted that he wants to solve diplomatic crises, but he warned that America would take military measures, along with Israel, if Iran does not agree to a deal. The United States has deployed additional powers in the region in recent weeks, including the second aircraft carrier and bombers.

Iran pledged revenge for any attack.

During the National Army Day on Friday, Iran offered the Russian S-300 Air Defense System. Israel claimed that it had destroyed many Iranian air defenses in a wave of air strikes last October. The government media reported that the regime, known as the Bavar-373 in Iran, was presented in the show that was “promoted”, which was rebuilt by Iranian engineers.