Major international media reported that the United States and Iran began their fifth round of nuclear negotiations in Rome, Italy, on May 23 (local time).
According to major news outlets, Steve Witkoff, the US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, and Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, participated in the talks as their respective countries' representatives. Badr Albusaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister, served as the mediator. The negotiations are taking place at the Omani Embassy in Rome.
US President's Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff (left) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right). Photo by Yonhap News
Currently, the US-Iran nuclear talks are at a stalemate over Iran's uranium enrichment. Under the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) reached in 2015, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium within the agreed concentration (3.67%) and stockpile limit (202.8 kg of U-235). However, in the current negotiations, the United States is demanding a complete abolition of uranium enrichment.
Iran has stated that while it can accept the condition of abandoning nuclear weapons development, it considers the demand to cease even low-enriched uranium production for civilian purposes, such as power generation, to be excessive.
On this day, Minister Araghchi stated on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "There will be no negotiations if we are to abandon enrichment," and added, "Finding a path to an agreement is not that complicated. Now is the time to make a decision."
White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt told reporters the previous day, "President Trump believes the negotiations are moving in the right direction."
Both the United States and Iran have expressed a preference for a diplomatic resolution, but it remains uncertain whether an agreement will be reached. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on May 20, "We aim to reach an agreement under which Iran maintains a civilian nuclear energy program but does not enrich uranium," adding, "However, achieving such an agreement will not be easy."
Previously, during his first term in 2018, President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal that had been concluded under the Barack Obama administration. After returning to office in January, President Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in March, proposing nuclear negotiations with a two-month deadline.
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