CNN
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We and the Iranian delegation will gather in Rome for a second round of high-level talks on Tehran’s nuclear program amid public optimism about diplomatic methods.
The discussion in the Italian capital comes a week after the first round was held in Muscat. The talks are taking place in Italy, but Oman is expected to once again serve as a mediator between US teams. This is led by special envoys Steve Witkov and Iranian teams led by Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut.
It is a high-stakes engagement, preceded by a gust of diplomatic activities as allies and enemies alike try to understand and potentially influence the purpose of the consultation.
President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested he has not looked at an imminent military strike against Iran’s nuclear facility, but the threat is still looming.
“Iran has a great country and I think there’s an opportunity to live happily when I die, so I’m not in a hurry to do that,” he said when asked about the New York Times report that he had shakened Israel from such military action.
“I want to see that, but that’s my first choice. If there’s a second option, I think it’s very bad for Iran,” the US president added.
Prior to the talks in Rome, Witkov quietly met in Paris on Friday with Israeli Strategy Minister and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest abdomen, Ron Dahmer and Mossad Director David Barnea. The Israeli government supports aggressive actions rather than diplomacy with Iran. Netanyahu’s office on Thursday alleged that the Israelis were “Iran does not currently own nuclear weapons.” The US intelligence agency warned that Israel is likely to try to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, CNN reported in February.
Witkov was in the French capital with Secretary of State Marco Rubio for discussions on Ukraine. The two discussed Iranian conferences with so-called “E3” allies, France, Germany and the UK.
“For Europeans, they have made the important decision to make snapbacks with snapbacks immediately, as Iran clearly does not adhere to current deals,” Rubio said at a press conference on Friday. “That’s what will be the factor in all of these things. That’s why it was important to tell them before the discussions on Saturday.”
“We hope that consultations will continue and that they will be fruitful and that they can lead to something,” said a top US diplomat. “We all prefer peaceful solutions and lasting solutions.”
Before discussions, Araguchi visited Moscow and met with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“We have hope and hope that Russia will continue its supportive role in the new deal,” Araguchi said in Moscow, according to the Associated Press.
Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, said during his visit to Iran that the talks were in a “very important” stage, adding that he “knows we don’t have time.” Since the US withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal during Trump’s first term, Tehran has far surpassed uranium enrichment limits, but has argued that it has not sought nuclear weapons.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman al-Saud traveled to Tehran this week on one of the finest trips by Saudi officials for decades. It was a visit to improve diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and was intended to show that the kingdom could play a role in escalation and broker peace efforts, a source told CNN. The source noted that Saudi Arabia doesn’t know what Trump is planning in talks with Iran, and that the assessment in Saudi Arabia is that they are unpredictable and may be short-lived.
CNN’s Nic Robertson contributed to this report.