Iran announces second round of nuclear talks with the US to be held in Rome

There have been some claims that the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States would happen in Oman. However, Iranian state TV has now confirmed that the second round of negotiations will actually take place in Rome this weekend. Oman, which hosted the first round of talks in its capital, Muscat, will still help mediate the discussions.

As reported by AA, the location change comes after mixed statements from Iranian and American officials, with the U.S. not yet officially announcing where the talks will be held. These discussions are extremely important because of the long-standing tensions between the two countries and the current critical stage of Iran’s nuclear program.

At the same time, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian officially accepted the resignation of Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif, who played a major role in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Zarif has used resignations as a political move before, and while Pezeshkian praised him, he said unspecified problems made it impossible for Zarif to stay in his position. Pezeshkian appointed Mohsen Ismaili, a moderate politician and legal expert, as the new vice president for strategic affairs.

Iran will talk to US about nuclear programs

Making the negotiations even more complicated, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Tehran to meet with Iranian officials. These talks will likely focus on whether IAEA inspectors can access Iran’s nuclear facilities, which is crucial for checking if any future agreement is being followed.

This is especially important because since the 2015 deal fell apart. Iran has made big advances in its uranium enrichment program, going beyond the old limits and blocking IAEA access to some sites.

Iran is now enriching uranium to levels close to what’s needed for weapons, which has raised serious concerns around the world. The negotiations are also facing tension because of disagreements between U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over uranium enrichment. Witkoff hinted that a deal might require Iran to go back to the 3.67% enrichment level set in the 2015 agreement, but later added that any deal would have to meet President Trump’s demands.

On the other hand, per Reuters, Araghchi insisted that Iran’s right to enrich uranium is not up for debate. However, he said Iran is open to taking steps to ease international worries. The high stakes of these talks are clear, especially with President Trump repeatedly threatening military action against Iran if no deal is reached. These warnings come as Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities have grown more advanced, increasing fears that Iran could develop nuclear weapons.

The results of the Rome talks will have major effects on security in the region and global efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Italy is only providing a place for the talks, but the Italian government confirmed it won’t be directly involved in the negotiations.