US-Iran Continue Nuclear Negotiations In Rome

JAKARTA - Iranian and US negotiators will continue talks on Friday in Rome to resolve decades of dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran's top leader previously warned reaching a new deal may not be reached amid conflicting red lines.

President Donald Trump wants to limit Tehran's potential to produce nuclear weapons that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race. Meanwhile, Iran wants to be free from devastating sanctions against its oil-based economy.

Reported by Reuters on Friday, May 23, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will hold a fifth round of talks, through mediator Oman.

Washington and Tehran are both tough in public over Iran's uranium enrichment.

Although Iran insists the talks are indirect, US officials say discussions are "direct and indirect".

Tehran and Washington both say they prefer diplomacy to complete the deadlock.

But they remain divided into several red lines that negotiators must push to reach a new nuclear deal and prevent future military action.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said Washington was working on a deal that would allow Iran to have a civilian nuclear energy program but did not enrich uranium.

Rubio admits reaching a deal like that is "not going to be easy."

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on state issues, rejected Washington's demand that Tehran stop enrichment of uranium as "exceeding and outrageous."

Khamenei warned the conversation was unlikely to bear fruit.

Among the remaining obstacles was Tehran's refusal to send all its highly enriched uranium stocks overseas or engage in discussions about its ballistic missile program.

Iran says it is ready to accept some restrictions on its uranium enrichment but requires strong assurances that Washington will not renege on the nuclear agreement in the future.