Oman says inconclusive Iran-US nuclear talks in Rome

The Omani mediator stated that Iran and the United States have made “some progress, but not definitive” in the fifth round of negotiations held at the Omani embassy in Rome on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Despite Washington’s demands to the contrary, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi has confirmed that the negotiations between the two sides will continue, given that nuclear enrichment is the key point of contention for Iran. Iranian officials, cognisant of the intricacies involved in the agreements, have stated that the outcomes of the meeting will be conveyed to the capitals of both nations without engendering any binding commitments for either side. The same sources indicated they were confident that solutions would be reached to allow the talks to progress during the next two or three meetings. The objective of the talks is to curtail Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of some of the substantial economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), set a limit of 3.67% for Tehran’s enrichment level and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms. This level is adequate for nuclear power plants, but significantly lower than the weapons-grade level of 90 percent.