Iran, US talk nuclear deal amid clashing red lines

People stand with a placard showing a picture of Tamir Adar, who was taken hostage by Hamas, as supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, take part in a protest to demand the release of all hostages, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday.

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Senior Iranian and US negotiators resumed talks yesterday to address disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme, as Washington hardens its stance ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East.

Although both Tehran and Washington have expressed a preference for diplomacy to resolve the decades-long dispute, they remain sharply divided over several red lines, which negotiators must navigate in order to reach a new nuclear agreement and avoid potential military conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, held the fourth round of negotiations in Muscat, mediated by Oman.

This followed public statements by Washington that Iranian officials said would not aid the process.