Enrichment concerns grow
\nThere have been some disagreements over Iran\u2019s right to enrich uranium, with a US envoy calling it a \u201cred line\u201d
\n MUSCAT
\nIran and the United States kicked off the fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday amid a standoff over uranium enrichment, with Tehran calling it \u201cnon-negotiable\u201d, while Washington has described it as a \u201cred line\u201d.
\nThe negotiations follow earlier rounds that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump\u00b4s first term.
\n\u201cEnrichment capability is one of the honours and achievements of the Iranian nation,\u201d said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a video before departing to Muscat, adding that the issue was \u201cnon-negotiable\u201d.
\n\u201cWe had more consultations in Tehran this morning and in this round we hope to reach a decisive point,\u201d he added.
\nIran\u2019s ISNA news agency later confirmed that \u201cindirect\u201d talks between the two sides had begun.
\nThe latest round of negotiations come amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, with Trump heading to the Gulf for his first major foreign tour next week, after Araghchi was in Saudi Arabia and Qatar this weekend.
\nBoth sides have reported progress after previous rounds.
\nBut there have been some delays and disagreements over Iran\u2019s right to enrich uranium, with a US envoy calling it a \u201cred line\u201d.
\nIran\u2019s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions during the meeting.
\nRed line
\nYousuf Al Bulushi, chairman of the Muscat Policy Council think tank, said that the two sides \u201chaven\u00b4t reached a breakthrough yet and this will take quite some time but I\u00b4m optimistic\u201d.
\nThe fourth round was initially set to take place on May 3 but had been rescheduled, with mediator Oman citing \u201clogistical reasons\u201d.
\nWestern countries, including the US, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
\nIran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity \u2014 far above the 3.67% limit set in the 2015 deal with Washington and other world powers, but below the 90% needed for weapons-grade material.
\nUS Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led Washington\u2019s delegation, said in a Friday interview that Iran\u2019s \u201cenrichment facilities have to be dismantled\u201d.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s our red line. No enrichment,\u201d he told US right-wing outlet Breitbart News, after initially suggesting flexibility on Tehran maintaining low-level enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes.
\nWitkoff said that if the talks \u201care not productive… they won\u2019t continue and we\u00b4ll have to take a different route\u201d.
\nTrump has said he wanted \u201ctotal verification\u201d that Iran\u2019s contested nuclear work is shut down, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that Tehran give up all uranium enrichment.
\nAraghchi, Tehran\u2019s chief negotiator, has repeatedly defended Iran\u2019s right to enrich uranium.
\nBalushi meanwhile warned that both sides had lost precious time during past negotiations to clarify \u201cwhether what was said was meant or not\u201d, instead of resolving differences.
\n\u2018Experts\u2019 at the table
\nIran adhered to the 2015 agreement for a year after Washington\u00b4s withdrawal before beginning to roll back its compliance.
\nSince returning to office in January, Trump has revived his \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d approach against Tehran, while backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of potential military action if it fails.
\nThe talks are taking place amid renewed scrutiny of key aspects of Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme, particularly its stockpile of enriched uranium and the pace of its enrichment activities.
\nEuropean governments are weighing whether to trigger the \u201csnapback\u201d mechanism under the 2015 deal, which would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance \u2014 an option that expires in October.
\nIsrael\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the Iran-US talks, has called for Tehran\u2019s nuclear facilities to be dismantled and for its ballistic missile programme to be stopped as part of any credible deal.
\nTehran has insisted that the talks be solely focused on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions, ruling out negotiations on military capabilities.
\nForeign ministry spokesman Baqaei said that Iran\u2019s delegation \u201cconsists of the experts and specialists needed at this stage of the talks, serving the highest interests of our country\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Enrichment concerns grow There have been some disagreements over Iran\u2019s right to enrich uranium, with a US envoy calling it a \u201cred line\u201d MUSCAT Iran and the United States kicked off the fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday amid a standoff over uranium enrichment, with Tehran calling it \u201cnon-negotiable\u201d, while Washington has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":477791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-477763","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n