Iran, US to hold 4th round of talks as enrichment concerns grow

MUSCAT, Oman: Iran’s foreign minister on Sunday said the country’s right to nuclear enrichment was “non-negotiable”, ahead of the fourth round of talks in Oman with the US over Tehran’s atomic programme.

The negotiations follow earlier rounds that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump’s first term.

“Enrichment capability is one of the honours and achievements of the Iranian nation,” said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a video before departing to Muscat, adding that the issue was “non-negotiable”.

“We had more consultations in Tehran this morning and in this round we hope to reach a decisive point,” he added.

It comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, with Trump heading to the Gulf for his first major foreign tour next week, after Araghchi was in Saudi Arabia and Qatar this weekend.

Both sides have reported progress after previous rounds.

But there have been some delays and disagreements over Iran’s right to enrich uranium, with a US envoy calling it a “red line”.

Negotiations are scheduled to begin around midday in Muscat, according to Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

The spokesman added that negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions during the meeting.

‘Red line’

Yousuf Al Bulushi, chairman of the Muscat Policy Council think tank, said that the two sides “haven’t reached a breakthrough yet and this will take quite some time but I’m optimistic”.

The fourth round was initially set to take place on May 3 but had been rescheduled, with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons”.

Western countries, including the US, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60 percent purity — far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal with Washington and other world powers, but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led Washington’s delegation, said in a Friday interview that Iran’s “enrichment facilities have to be dismantled”.

“That’s our red line. No enrichment,” he told US right-wing outlet Breitbart News, after initially suggesting flexibility on Tehran maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes.

Witkoff said that if the talks “are not productive… they won’t continue and we’ll have to take a different route”.

Trump has said he wanted “total verification” that Iran’s contested nuclear work is shut down, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that Tehran give up all uranium enrichment.

Araghchi, Tehran’s chief negotiator in previous rounds, has repeatedly defended Iran’s right to enrich uranium.

“Pressure is a tactic in negotiations so that’s why they’re using it as leverage, but this is really impacting the atmosphere of the talks,” Bulushi said.