ROME — Negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding its nuclear ambitions appear poised to shift from the Middle East, with the next round of discussions reportedly scheduled for Rome, according to an Italian source.
Concurrently, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed plans to visit Iran later in the week, potentially to discuss improved access for IAEA inspectors to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The stakes are incredibly high for both nations. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action targeting Iran’s nuclear program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials have responded by continuing enrichment with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
An Italian government source confirmed Rome as the venue for the next round of talks, commencing on Saturday. The source requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak publicly.
This confirmation coincided with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s statement to journalists in Osaka, Japan, that Italy had approved hosting the discussions.
“We received the request from the interested parties, from Oman, which plays the role of mediator and we gave a positive response,” Tajani said. “We are ready to welcome, as always, meetings that can bring positive results, in this case on the nuclear issue.”
Neither Iranian nor U.S. officials have yet formally acknowledged Rome as the location for the upcoming negotiations. Oman, which previously hosted talks, is expected to maintain its mediating role.
“The next round of talks will probably be held somewhere other than Oman,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told journalists on Monday in Tehran. “It’s not an important matter.”
IAEA chief to head to Iran ahead of talks
Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the IAEA, will visit Iran later this week, preceding the forthcoming talks.
The IAEA has been crucial in verifying Iran’s adherence to the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers and has maintained its operations in Iran, even after the U.S. withdrew from the accord in 2018 under President Trump.
“Continued engagement and cooperation with the Agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed,” Grossi wrote on X.
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, Grossi will arrive in Iran on Wednesday night and meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian. The report cited Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
Sanctions relief and enrichment remain top issues
Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran committed to significantly reducing its uranium stockpile and limiting enrichment to 3.67%, sufficient for its Bushehr nuclear power plant. Currently, Iran enriches uranium up to 60%, a minor technical step away from weapons-grade levels, possessing enough material for several nuclear weapons, should it choose to construct them.
The 2015 agreement provided Iran with economic sanctions relief and unfroze assets globally. The collapse of the agreement resulted in the reinstatement of sanctions and limitations on Iran’s crude oil sales, though it continues to sell to China, likely at a reduced price.
While the U.S. could offer sanctions relief to alleviate Iran’s struggling economy, the extent of concessions Iran is willing to make remains uncertain. Based on negotiations since 2018, Iran is likely to insist on maintaining uranium enrichment up to at least 20%. However, neither party has publicly outlined their specific demands for the talks.
“There must definitely be guarantees in place regarding the fulfillment of commitments,” Baghaei said Monday. “The issue of guarantees is especially important given the history of broken promises in the past. God willing, the negotiating team will continue its work with all these factors and points in mind.”
He added: “As long as the language of sanctions, pressure, threats, and intimidation continues, direct negotiations will not take place.”
However, Abbas and met face-to-face after approximately two hours of indirect discussions mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.
Speaking to journalists on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said he met with Witkoff and that his envoy had “very good meetings on the Middle East.”
“We’ll be making a decision on Iran very quickly,” Trump said, without elaborating.
___
Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers David Biller and Giada Zampano in Rome and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from and . The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:
“`