Iran Sees Hope for Progress After Fifth Round of U.S. Nuclear Talks

AP

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Iranian and U.S. negotiators wrapped up a fifth round of talks on Friday, with mediator Oman saying there was some limited progress in negotiations aimed at resolving a decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Despite both Washington and Tehran taking a tough stance in public ahead of the talks on Iran's uranium enrichment, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was potential for progress after Oman made several proposals during the negotiations in Rome.

"We have just completed one of the most professional rounds of talks ... We firmly stated Iran's position ... The fact that we are now on a reasonable path, in my view, is itself a sign of progress," Araqchi told state TV.

"The proposals and solutions will be reviewed in respective capitals ... and the next round of talks will be scheduled accordingly."

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. delegation.

Iran and the United States held a fifth round of negotiations on Friday, 23 May 2025, in Rome, as concerns mount over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Uranium enrichment has emerged as the central point of contention in the discussions.

U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, continue to insist that Iran must cease all uranium enrichment under any potential agreement that could see sanctions eased on the country’s ailing economy. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, firmly rejected that position on Friday morning, writing on the social media platform X: “No enrichment means we do NOT have a deal.”

“Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” Araghchi added. “Time to decide.”

The U.S. delegation is being led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton, Director of Policy Planning at the State Department. Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr al-Busaidi, is mediating the negotiations. 

Several diplomatic convoys were seen arriving at the Omani Embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia district shortly after 1 P.M., a location previously used for earlier rounds of talks. Iranian media confirmed just before 2 P.M. that the negotiations had officially commenced, without providing further details.

The objective of the talks is to limit Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of some of the severe U.S. sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic—a legacy of decades of hostility between the two nations.

President Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure should the talks fail. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have increasingly warned they may pursue nuclear weapons, citing their enriched uranium stockpile, which has reached levels close to weapons-grade.

A recent report by the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency, cited by the Associated Press (AP), stated:
“Iran almost certainly is not producing nuclear weapons, but Iran has undertaken activities in recent years that better position it to produce them, if it chooses to do so. These actions reduce the time required to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for a first nuclear device to probably less than one week.”

Uranium enrichment remains the core issue dividing the two sides. While Witkoff initially suggested Iran could continue enriching uranium at a limited level of 3.67%, the U.S. stance has since hardened to a position of zero enrichment.

Asked about the ongoing negotiations, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said: “We believe that we are going to succeed,” referencing the U.S. push for a complete halt to enrichment. The Iranians are at the table, so they understand our position—and they’re still coming.”

According to a report by the AP, one potential compromise under discussion would see Iran halting enrichment domestically, but receiving a guaranteed supply of low-enriched uranium through a consortium supported by regional partners and the United States. Several countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have also offered to supply low-enriched uranium for peaceful uses.

However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry remains firm in its demand that enrichment continue on Iranian soil. A similar fuel-swap proposal collapsed during negotiations in 2010.

Despite Tehran’s hardline rhetoric, domestic pressures are mounting. Protests continue over the mandatory hijab law, which many Iranian women openly defy. Speculation also persists that the government may raise the price of subsidised petrol—a move that has sparked nationwide unrest in the past.

Iran’s currency, the rial, plummeted to over 1 million to the U.S. dollar in April. Though it has stabilised slightly amid the renewed talks, officials in Tehran hope progress will continue, fearing that further depreciation could ignite fresh economic protests.

The Trump administration has also continued to apply new sanctions. This week, it specifically targeted the sale of sodium perchlorate to Iran. The chemical was reportedly imported from China via the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas. A major explosion at the port in April—still unexplained—killed dozens and injured more than 1,000 people during an earlier round of the negotiations.



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