ROME — The United States and Iran are expected to begin a new round of negotiations in Rome on Friday, with uranium enrichment emerging as the central obstacle in ongoing efforts to limit Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
The talks, mediated by Oman, bring U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and State Department policy planning director Michael Anton back to the table with Iranian counterparts. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is facilitating the dialogue, continuing Muscat’s role as a trusted intermediary between the two longtime adversaries.
U.S. officials, including President Trump, have maintained that any agreement must include a complete halt to uranium enrichment in Iran. Tehran has firmly rejected that condition.
“If there is no enrichment, then we do NOT have a deal,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote Friday on X. “Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science. Time to decide.”
The negotiations come as Iran’s nuclear program advances rapidly and international pressure mounts to contain its capabilities. The Trump administration has hardened its stance in recent weeks, with threats of military action if diplomacy fails.
Enrichment remains the core dispute. U.S. officials initially indicated a willingness to tolerate low-level enrichment—around 3.67 percent, as outlined in the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal—but have since shifted to a demand for zero enrichment within Iranian borders. Iran insists its enrichment program is peaceful and nonnegotiable.
Among ideas reportedly under discussion is a regional consortium, backed by the U.S. and Middle Eastern partners, that could provide Iran with nuclear fuel while relocating enrichment activities outside the country. Iranian officials, however, remain opposed to any arrangement that would remove the process from domestic control, pointing to the failure of similar proposals in past negotiations.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to escalate across the region. Israel has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure if it perceives an imminent threat. In response, Araghchi warned Thursday that Iran would take “special measures” to defend its facilities and would hold the United States responsible for any Israeli action.
In a symbolic show of defiance, Iranian authorities allowed students to form a human chain Thursday around the Fordo enrichment plant, a heavily fortified site built deep inside a mountain to deter potential airstrikes.
As talks prepare to open in Rome, expectations remain cautious. While both sides continue to signal a willingness to negotiate, the path to consensus remains narrow—and fraught with geopolitical risk.
