Oman said the fifth round of Iran-U.S. talks will take place after both sides have consulted their respective leaderships.
Iranian and U.S. officials wrapped up their fourth round of talks on issues related to Iran’s nuclear program on May 11, with both sides agreeing to proceed with further negotiations.
U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held three-hour-long talks in Muscat, the capital of Oman, which acted as a mediator in the U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations.
The talks took place ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this week. The United States wants Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of U.S.-imposed sanctions.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the recent indirect talks were “difficult but useful” in understanding each other’s positions and finding “realistic ways” to resolve their differences.
Details on the next round of talks will be coordinated and announced by Oman, Baghaei stated on social media platform X.
A senior U.S. official, speaking to the media on condition of anonymity, said the meeting involved both indirect and direct exchanges, while expressing optimism over the outcome.
“We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future,” the official said, adding that both sides have agreed to work through “technical elements.”
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the Iran-U.S. talks, stated that the latest round included “useful and original ideas,” which he said reflected a mutual desire to reach an agreement but did not offer further details.
Albusaidi added that a fifth round will take place after both sides have consulted their respective leaderships.
The fourth meeting was initially scheduled for May 3 but was postponed due to unspecified logistical reasons. Araqchi also participated in two initial rounds of talks with Witkoff last month and a more in-depth third round of technical talks on April 26.
Before his meeting with Araqchi on May 11, Witkoff told Breitbart News that Iran must dismantle its uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan to show the United States it has ceased its nuclear weapons development.
“An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again,” Witkoff said. “That’s our red line. No enrichment. That means dismantlement, it means no weaponization.”
