Top Iranian and U.S. negotiators will resume talks on Sunday to address disputes over Tehran's nuclear programme, in a push for progress as Washington hardens its stance ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East visit.
Though Tehran and Washington both have said they prefer diplomacy to resolve the decades-long dispute, they remain deeply divided on several red lines that negotiators will have to circumvent to reach a new nuclear deal and avert future military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will hold the fourth round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators, despite Washington taking a tough stance in public that Iranian officials said would not help the negotiations.
Witkoff told Breitbart News on Thursday that Washington's red line is: 'No enrichment. That means dismantlement, no weaponization,” requiring the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
'If they are not productive on Sunday, then they won't continue and we'll have to take a different route,” Witkoff said in the interview.
Trump, who has restored a 'maximum pressure' campaign on Tehran since February, exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
Iran, which has long said its nuclear programme is peaceful, has breached the 2015 pact's nuclear curbs since 2019 including 'dramatically' accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons-grade, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Reuters
Top Iranian and U.S. negotiators will resume talks on Sunday to address disputes over Tehran's nuclear programme, in a push for progress as Washington hardens its stance ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East visit.
Though Tehran and Washington both have said they prefer diplomacy to resolve the decades-long dispute, they remain deeply divided on several red lines that negotiators will have to circumvent to reach a new nuclear deal and avert future military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will hold the fourth round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators, despite Washington taking a tough stance in public that Iranian officials said would not help the negotiations.
Witkoff told Breitbart News on Thursday that Washington's red line is: 'No enrichment. That means dismantlement, no weaponization,” requiring the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
'If they are not productive on Sunday, then they won't continue and we'll have to take a different route,” Witkoff said in the interview.
Trump, who has restored a 'maximum pressure' campaign on Tehran since February, exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
Iran, which has long said its nuclear programme is peaceful, has breached the 2015 pact's nuclear curbs since 2019 including 'dramatically' accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons-grade, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Reuters
Top Iranian and U.S. negotiators will resume talks on Sunday to address disputes over Tehran's nuclear programme, in a push for progress as Washington hardens its stance ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East visit.
Though Tehran and Washington both have said they prefer diplomacy to resolve the decades-long dispute, they remain deeply divided on several red lines that negotiators will have to circumvent to reach a new nuclear deal and avert future military action.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will hold the fourth round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators, despite Washington taking a tough stance in public that Iranian officials said would not help the negotiations.
Witkoff told Breitbart News on Thursday that Washington's red line is: 'No enrichment. That means dismantlement, no weaponization,” requiring the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
'If they are not productive on Sunday, then they won't continue and we'll have to take a different route,” Witkoff said in the interview.
Trump, who has restored a 'maximum pressure' campaign on Tehran since February, exited Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with six world powers in 2018 during his first term and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
Iran, which has long said its nuclear programme is peaceful, has breached the 2015 pact's nuclear curbs since 2019 including 'dramatically' accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons-grade, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Reuters
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