WASHINGTON, United States (US): Iran and the US are set to hold a third round of nuclear negotiations on Saturday in the Gulf state of Oman, German news agency (dpa) reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, are meeting in the capital, Muscat.
On Thursday, the US State Department confirmed Witkoff’s participation in the talks.
The technical negotiations, which are taking place parallel, are to be led by Michael Anton, the US State Department’s Policy Planning Director, the department said.
After the second round of negotiations in Rome last weekend, both sides agreed to continue the talks.
The primary focus is expected to be on the issue of Iran’s uranium enrichment.
Under the landmark nuclear deal negotiated under the Obama administration in 2015, Iran was permitted a maximum enrichment level of 3.67 per cent and a stockpile of up to 300 kilogrammes (kg) of uranium.
After US President, Donald Trump, in his first term, withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018, Tehran also abandoned the commitments.
Enrichment was increased to 60 per cent, and stockpiles now exceed 8,000 kg.
Iran maintains that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapons programme but refuses to completely forgo civilian nuclear technology.
In recent days, however, there have been signs of concessions from Iran, according to observers.
Tehran is said to be willing to return to the technical requirements of 2015, and reactivate the International Atomic Energy Agency surveillance cameras in its nuclear facilities. – BERNAMA-dpa
