US, Iran agree to more nuclear talks after 'useful' round

Arsalan Shahla and Eric Martin, Bloomberg News on May 11, 2025

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The U.S. and Iran will continue talks over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, after discussions on Sunday that were described as encouraging by Washington and “difficult but useful” by Tehran.

“Despite the challenges, very useful discussions were held,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in televised statements following the talks. He said that Tehran and Washington had reached a “deeper understanding” and “narrowed their positions,” adding that their next meeting will likely take place in a week.

A senior Trump administration official said the U.S., whose delegation was led by Steve Witkoff, was encouraged by Sunday’s talks, which were held both directly and indirectly. Both sides had agreed to continue working through technical details, and the next meeting will take place in the near future, the official said, asking not to be identified.

Araghchi also reiterated that Iran’s ability to enrich uranium – a key sticking point in the negotiations – isn’t open to discussion.

“Enrichment is an issue that must absolutely continue, and there’s no room for compromise on it,” Iran’s top diplomat said. “While we may consider imposing limits on its scale, scope, and level for a period of confidence-building, the fundamental issue of enrichment is non-negotiable.”

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the talks, said the discussions included “useful and original ideas reflecting a shared wish to reach an honorable agreement.” He stated that a fifth round of negotiations will take place after the delegations consult with their respective leaderships.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, who maintained the discussions were held indirectly, said in an X post that the two sides had “difficult but useful talks to better understand each other’s positions and to find reasonable and realistic ways to address the differences.”

Talks, which began a month ago, were held Sunday in Muscat following a week-long pause. A previously scheduled meeting in Rome had been postponed due to what Oman’s foreign minister, who’s been mediating the discussions, said were “logistical reasons.”

Though earlier rounds were characterized as constructive, recent remarks may have exposed deeper rifts, casting doubt on a potential agreement. Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, told Breitbart News on Thursday that Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan must be dismantled.

“An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again,” Witkoff said, raising a demand Iran has firmly rejected as a red line. “That’s our red line. No enrichment. That means dismantlement, it means no weaponization.”

Earlier Sunday, Araghchi criticized the U.S. officials for their shifting remarks but signaled that a breakthrough was still possible.

“We’re hopeful that this round will bring us to a decisive point,” Araghchi told Iran’s national TV ahead of the talks. “Unfortunately, we’re hearing many contradictory statements from the other side. Inside the negotiations and outside, in the media, their positions are constantly changing, and it’s one of the challenges of these negotiations.”

On Saturday, Araghchi reaffirmed Tehran’s position that it isn’t seeking nuclear weapons but will never relinquish its right to “the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including enrichment.”

“If the goal of these negotiations is to ensure Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, that’s already a given, so reaching an agreement is entirely within reach,” Araghchi said in Doha during a trip that included a stop in Saudi Arabia, where he briefed officials on the talks.

Trump, who’s scheduled to visit the Middle East next week, has intensified his pressure campaign against Iran, imposing new sanctions on its oil industry and threatening to penalize foreign entities that keep purchasing Iranian oil.

The U.S. President has vowed to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb and is pushing to replace the 2015 deal, which had curbed Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, and which he abandoned in 2018.

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