Iran, US Hold Fresh Talks in Rome in Bid to Reach Nuclear Deal

Iran and the United States started a new round of nuclear talks in Rome on April 19 to resolve their decades-long stand-off over Tehran's atomic aims, under the shadow of US President Donald Trump's threat to unleash military action if diplomacy fails.

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DUBAI -

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Mr. Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will negotiate indirectly through an Omani official, Iranian officials said, a week after a first round of indirect talks in Muscat that both sides described as constructive.

Mr. Araqchi and Mr. Witkoff interacted briefly at the end of the first round, but officials from the two countries have not held direct negotiations since 2015 under then-US President Barack Obama.

Mr. Araqchi, in a meeting with his Italian counterpart ahead of the talks, said Iran had always been committed to diplomacy and called on "all parties involved in the talks to seize the opportunity to reach a reasonable and logical nuclear deal."