Second round of Iran-US talks live updates

EghtesadOnline:Iranian and American delegations held the first round of talks in Oman on April 12, with Oman's foreign minister acting as mediator.

Saturday's exchanges between Tehran and Washington were indirect and mediated by Oman, as Iran had wanted, rather than face-to-face, as Trump had demanded. Each delegation had its separate room and exchanged messages via Oman's foreign minister.

After the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his delegation had a brief encounter with its US counterpart, headed by Witkoff, after they exited the talks.

Araghchi said the talks took place in a "productive, calm and positive atmosphere".

"Both sides have agreed to continue the talks ... probably next Saturday," Araghchi added. "Iran and the US side want an agreement in the short term. We do not want talks for (the sake of) talks."

Commenting on the negotiations, American officials also confirmed that the talks were constructive, with US President Donald Trump saying that the talks with Iran are going okay.

The second round of talks on Saturday will be held at the Omani embassy in Rome.

They are reportedly expected to start around 5 am ET and last at least five hours, according to Axios.

 Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has voiced his country's readiness to contribute to the peace and stability of the Middle East region.

"Italy is ready to give its contribution to peace and stability in the Middle East," he declared on X.

He added that Italy will host high-level talks in Rome to facilitate a positive solution.

The talks began around 3:00 pm local time at the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, who acted as a go-between. From the Iranian side, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, and from the American side, Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, were present at the top diplomat’s home. Less than 10 written messages were exchanged, with Araghchi delivering the first one.

The two officials accompanying the delegations stayed at their hotels. Witkoff arrived in Oman with two individuals accompanying him, one of them a nuclear expert. He exchanged greetings with Araghchi as the two were departing their separate rooms at the end of the session.

In his messages, Araghchi declared that Iran is not engaging in the indirect talks for show and that it is not trying to play a game of chicken, according to information obtained by the Tehran Times. Tehran's primary objective is to gauge the U.S. side's sincerity and determine the feasibility of reaching an agreement, he told Witkoff. 

Araghchi emphasized that Iran wants a win-win agreement. It would not, under any circumstances, agree to dismantle its nuclear program. However, he stated that the country would be willing to take steps to provide assurances against the militarization of its nuclear activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be the only external entity permitted access to Iran's nuclear sites.

What Tehran wants in return is for sanctions to be removed on several sectors. Once those sanctions are removed, the U.S. cannot bring them back under other pretexts. 

Araghchi also stipulated that a general framework agreement was necessary for the continuation of the talks. If the U.S. objects to the framework proposed by Iran during the initial session, it should present its own alternative for Iran to consider.

According to the Tehran Times, Witkoff, for his part, acknowledged that Washington needs to make concessions. He did not mention the potential dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program, nor did he reference the original accord, the JCPOA, from which former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.