Iran and the United States held “constructive” discussions on Iran’s nuclear program.
The second round of talks through Oman in Rome took place on Saturday, a week after his first session in Oman’s capital, Muscat.
The “technical discussion” is scheduled to begin in Oman on Wednesday, with a higher level meeting being held after which it will be closer to the contract.
So, what are these technical arguments? And is there likely an agreement?
Here’s what you need to know:
What are these technical consultations?
On Wednesday, labor-level experts from both sides begin to discuss the internal mechanisms of sanctions relief and how it relates to Iran’s nuclear program.
The sanctions regime imposed on Iran is complex and multi-layered, with each tier having to link to specific measures or guarantees.
Three days after these talks, another round of high-level talks will be held in Muscat.
The final two rounds were indirect consultations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut and US Special Mission Steve Witkov, passing through Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusady.
How did you get here?
Authorities are optimistic about the progress of the talks that began with President Donald Trump, who has threatened Tehran with an attack if they don’t negotiate.
In early March, Trump wrote to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for consultations on the country’s nuclear program.
However, the letter was sent through the United Arab Emirates, and Anwar Galgash, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, delivered it almost a week after Trump’s announcement.
After saying Trump’s letter had not been received yet, Khamenei declared that Iran would not accept the “request” of the “bullying government.”
However, something was thawed in a normally icy relationship, and Iran agreed to indirect consultations after Oman’s mediation.
Interestingly, Oman was also the mediator of the first secret consultation between Iran and the United States that led to the JCPOA.
Does Iran want nuclear weapons?
Iran has given no indication that it is planning to build nuclear weapons. In fact, the Supreme Leader has issued religious orders years ago to prohibit the pursuit of such weapons.
When Trump’s threat escalated, Khamenei said that if Iran chose to pursue nuclear weapons, no one could stop it. But he has not reversed his order to ban it.
Has there already been no deals restricting Iran’s nuclear program?
there was. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) was a diplomatic victory for former US President Barack Obama.
Under the terms of the contract, Iran has pledged regular inspections of its nuclear program in exchange for relief from several Western sanctions.
However, Trump, who criticized the agreement during his first term, withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and imposed punitive sanctions on Iran.
What exactly does the US want?
One of the things that came up in the discussion is how rich Iran is and at what level it has.
Enriched uranium is used in nuclear reactors, but is usually concentrated to 3-5%.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran enriches up to 60% of uranium (605.8 pounds) by 274.8kg (605.8 pounds) of uranium, lower than the 90% enrichment required for its weapons.
Under the JCPOA, Iran was able to concentrate uranium up to 3.67% and maintain a 300kg (661 pounds) uranium stockpile.
Witkoff said 3.67% was acceptable levels of uranium enrichment, the same as agreed by Obama’s JCPOA.
So why does Trump want another deal?
It’s hard to read Trump’s mind.
But going with what he said, he considers him to be a deal maker who is willing to talk to anyone, even if he gets a deal similar to the last one.
He was apparently influenced by Israeli opinion when he said the JCPOA was a “bad deal” and left it in 2018.
Israel has long considered Iran to be its enemy. It secretly pursues bombs and claims it is a greater regional threat than Israel’s increasingly violent occupation of Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was so invested that he dedicated part of his 2012 UN General Assembly speech to draw a cartoon bomb with “red lines” to explain his points.
Since international testing began, Iran has been increasing enrichment levels since its withdrawal from the JCPOA, but there was a consensus that Iran is sticking to the contract.
So is there a deal?
It’s too early to say.
There are promising signs, including reports that Iranian and US teams were in the same room for at least part of the second round of negotiations, as well as progress in technical consultations.
Araghchi “successfully reached a better understanding of certain principles and goals,” according to the Smiofficial Tasnim News Agency.
He posted on Saturday, “For now, optimism may be guaranteed, but we only have to pay a lot of attention.”
Iran claims it will ensure that the United States comply with this agreement. The US has argued that it will halt uranium enrichment, which Iran claims is necessary to implement its nuclear energy program.
