Iran confirms that the 2nd spherical of nuclear talks with the US will likely be in Rome | EUROtoday

Iran confirmed Wednesday that the subsequent spherical of nuclear talks with the United States this weekend will likely be held in Rome after earlier confusion over the place the negotiations can be held.

The announcement by Iranian state tv got here as Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian formally accepted the resignation of considered one of his vice presidents who served as Tehran’s key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear cope with world powers.

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency, additionally arrived within the Islamic Republic on Wednesday. His talks might embrace negotiations over simply what entry the IAEA inspectors can get underneath any proposed deal.

The state TV announcement stated Oman will once more mediate the talks on Saturday in Rome. Oman’s international minister served as an interlocutor between the 2 sides at talks final weekend in Muscat, the sultanate’s capital.

Officials initially on Monday recognized Rome as internet hosting the negotiations, just for Iran to insist early Tuesday they might return to Oman. American officers up to now haven’t stated publicly the place the talks will likely be held, although Trump did name Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Tuesday, whereas the ruler was on a visit to the Netherlands.

The stakes of the negotiations couldn’t be larger for the 2 nations closing in on half a century of enmity. U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes concentrating on Iran’s nuclear program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officers more and more warn that they might pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to close weapons-grade ranges.

Pezeshkian praises former vp whereas acknowledging his resignation

The former vp, Mohammad Javad Zarif, served as a key supporter of Pezeshkian in his election final yr however drew criticism from hard-liners inside Iran’s Shiite theocracy, who lengthy have alleged Zarif gave away an excessive amount of in negotiations.

In March, Zarif tendered his resignation to Pezeshkian. However, the president didn’t instantly reply to the letter. Zarif has used resignation bulletins previously in his political profession as leverage, together with in a dispute final yr over the composition of Pezeshkian’s Cabinet. The president had rejected that resignation.

But on late Tuesday, an announcement from the presidency stated Pezeshkian wrote Zarif a letter praising him however accepting his resignation.

“Pezeshkian emphasized that due to certain issues, his administration can no longer benefit from Zarif’s valuable knowledge and expertise,” an announcement from the presidency stated.

The president in a decree appointed Mohsen Ismaili, 59, to be his new vp for strategic affairs. In Iran’s political system, the president has a number of vice presidents. Ismaili is called a political average and a authorized professional.

Grossi go to comes as Iran has restricted IAEA entry

Grossi arrived in Tehran for conferences with Pezeshkian and others. He met Wednesday evening with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, writing on the social platform X after the assembly: “Cooperation with (the IAEA) is indispensable to provide credible assurances about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme at a time when diplomacy is urgently needed.”

Iran’s state-run IRNA information company described Araghchi as briefing Grossi on the primary spherical of talks with the U.S., whereas additionally urging the IAEA to “adopt a clear and transparent stance regarding threats against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.” Both Israel and the U.S. have threatened to assault Iran’s nuclear websites if a deal cannot be reached to restrict Tehran’s program.

Since the nuclear deal’s collapse in 2018 with Trump’s unilateral withdraw of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has deserted all limits on its program, and enriches uranium to as much as 60% purity — close to weapons-grade ranges of 90%.

Surveillance cameras put in by the IAEA have been disrupted, whereas Iran has barred among the Vienna-based company’s most skilled inspectors. Iranian officers even have more and more threatened that they might pursue atomic weapons, one thing the West and the IAEA have been anxious about for years since Tehran deserted an organized weapons program in 2003.

Any doable deal between Iran and the U.S. seemingly would want to depend on the IAEA’s experience to make sure Tehran’s compliance. And regardless of tensions between Iran and the company, its entry has not been totally revoked.

Iran’s international minister questions contradictory responses from US envoy

Meanwhile, Araghchi on Wednesday warned the U.S. about taking contradictory stances within the talks.

That seemingly refers to feedback from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, who this week initially prompt a deal might see Iran return to three.67% uranium enrichment — like within the 2015 deal reached by the Obama administration. Witkoff then adopted up with saying “a deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.”

“Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program,” he wrote on X. “It is imperative for the world that we create a tough, fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do.”

Araghchi warned America about taking any “contradictory and opposing stances” in the talks.

“What is certain is that Iran’s enrichment (program) is a real, accepted matter,” he stated. “We are ready to construct belief and handle any potential considerations, however the core situation of enrichment itself is just not negotiable.”

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Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran. Associated Press author Amir Vahdat in Tehran contributed to this report.