WANA (Apr 19) – As part of ongoing efforts to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington, a new round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States began today at the Omani ambassador’s residence in Rome, the capital of Italy. The discussions are being held with the presence of Oman’s foreign minister and follow a format similar to the first round of negotiations.

 

Ismail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, provided details on the process, stating: “The indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. started about an hour ago, and as before, the two negotiating teams are present in separate rooms.”

 

He also mentioned a prior meeting between Iran’s foreign minister and his Italian counterpart, adding: “Before the talks began, Mr. Araqchi met with the Italian side. We expressed our appreciation for Italy’s positive and constructive role, and they also thanked us for the opportunity to be involved in this process.”

 

Iran’s Foreign Minister emphasized the “peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and the rejection of weapons of mass destruction based on the religious and national values of Iranians, as well as the defensive doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He identified the “Zionist regime” as the sole obstacle to achieving a nuclear-free Middle East.

 

These developments come as diplomatic efforts continue to find solutions for reducing regional tensions and returning to the path of diplomacy.

 

Ahead of the second round of indirect Iran-U.S. talks mediated by Oman, Iran’s foreign minister, Araghchi, held talks with his Omani counterpart, Badr Al-Busaidi, in Rome.

 

Unlike the previous round, foreign & anti-Iranian media are also present—raising chances of conflicting reports & potential disruptions.

 

Talks are nuclear-only as Iranian officials have mentioned.

 

Currently, only an exchange of views between delegations is underway, and no journalist can predict the exact content of the behind-closed-doors talks.