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Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Next round of Iran-US nuclear talks likely to be in Oman at weekend
FILE PHOTO: A general view of Muscat, ahead of the awaited negotiations between U.S. and Iran, Muscat, Oman, April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa Next round of Iran-US nuclear talks likely to be in Oman at weekend DUBAI - A fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States is likely to take place over the weekend in the capital of Oman, with Iranian state media pointing to May 11 as a probable date. Iran's Nournews outlet was the first to report the resumption of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks for Sunday, citing an unnamed official. Cautioning that the timing was not yet finalised, an Iranian source close to the negotiating team told Reuters: "The talks will take place over two days in Muscat, either on Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday." Initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, the fourth round of negotiations was postponed with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons". Top U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff also said Washington was trying to hold the next round of talks this weekend, according to the news site Axios, a day after Iran's foreign ministry reiterated Tehran's commitment to diplomacy with Washington. Separately, President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed the progress in talks between Iran and the United States with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Kremlin said. Putin said Russia was ready to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the U.S. to reach a fair agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, has threatened to bomb Iran if no agreement is reached with his administration to resolve the long-standing dispute. Western countries say Iran's nuclear programme is geared towards producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian purposes. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
01-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
'We are breaking the bodies and minds of children of Gaza', says WHO Executive Director
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian kids stand at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa 'We are breaking the bodies and minds of children of Gaza', says WHO Executive Director GENEVA - The minds and bodies of children in Gaza are being broken following two months of aid blockade and renewed strikes, the Executive Director of the World Health Organization Emergencies programmes said on Thursday. Since March 2 Israel has blocked the entry of medical, fuel, and food supplies into Gaza. "We are breaking the bodies and minds of the children of Gaza. We are starving the children of Gaza. We are complicit," Deputy Director General Michael Ryan told reporters at the WHO's headquarters. "As a physician I am angry. It is an abomination," he said. Israel says the decision to block the supplies was aimed at pressuring Hamas to free hostages as the ceasefire agreement stalled. "The current level of malnutrition is causing a collapse in immunity," Ryan said, warning that cases of pneumonia and meningitis in women and children could increase. Israel has previously denied that Gaza was facing a hunger crisis. It has not made clear when and how aid will be resumed. Israel's military accuses Hamas of diverting aid, which Hamas denies. The United Nations warned this week that acute malnutrition among Gaza's children was worsening. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Today
28-04-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Iran proposes meeting with Europeans before next talks with US, diplomats say
FILE PHOTO: A general view of Muscat, ahead of the awaited negotiations between U.S. and Iran, Muscat, Oman, April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo By John Irish and Parisa Hafezi Iran has proposed meeting the European parties to a 2015 nuclear deal possibly in Rome this Friday if talks resume with the United States, four diplomats said on Monday, cautioning that there has yet to be a response from the Europeans to the idea. Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the United States that resumed in Oman on Saturday and after talks with Russia and China last week. Omani officials have said a new round of U.S.-Iran talks could be held on May 3 in Europe. No formal decision has been taken. Iran's reach out to Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, suggests Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of U.N. sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires. Two E3 diplomats and a Western diplomat said Iran had communicated after last Saturday's talks with the United States a proposal to meet possibly in Rome on Friday. Should that not be possible, the Iranians also suggested discussions in Tehran before that date, the diplomats said. The second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran took place in Rome with Iran saying serious differences remained. An Iranian official confirmed the proposal, but said the E3 had not responded so far. The European and Western diplomats said the E3 were assessing whether it was in their interest to meet Iran now or wait to see how talks with Washington developed, but ruled out a meeting in Tehran. "It is important to remain on the same page with all parties to the 2015 deal. Therefore, meeting the E3 countries this week ahead of the next round of talks with Americans would be useful," said the Iranian official. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday he was ready to travel to Europe for talks, although he suggested that the ball was in Europe's court after ties had soured between the two sides. Since September, Tehran and the three European powers have met several times to discuss their ties and the nuclear issue. The most recent meeting in March was held at the technical level, looking at the parameters of a future deal to secure a rollback of Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions. Trump, who abandoned the 2015 pact between Tehran and world powers during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it reaches a new deal swiftly that would prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. The West suspects Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, which it denies. The threat of renewed sanctions is intended to pressure Tehran into concessions, making detailed discussions on strategy between the Americans and Europeans vital, diplomats say. Because the United States quit the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, it cannot initiate its mechanism for reimposing sanctions, called snapback, at the United Nations Security Council. That makes the E3 the only participants in the deal who are capable of and interested in pursuing snapback. When asked whether the proposal to meet Europeans was about snapback, the Iranian official indicated that was partly the aim. "Talks with the U.S., particularly on the nuclear steps, are not moving fast and obviously we need more time and Tehran is not much in favour of an interim deal, because of lack of trust to American side," the official said. "What if under an interim deal, we fulfil our step and the other party does not. We need Europeans to understand that we want a new deal and we are ready to take steps to limit our enrichment but we need time." The British and German foreign ministries declined to comment specifically on whether Iran had proposed a meeting for later this week. France's foreign ministry did not immediately respond for comment. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Straits Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Iran proposes meeting with Europeans before next talks with US, diplomats say
FILE PHOTO: A general view of Muscat, ahead of the awaited negotiations between U.S. and Iran, Muscat, Oman, April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo Iran proposes meeting with Europeans before next talks with US, diplomats say PARIS/DUBAI - Iran has proposed meeting the European parties to a 2015 nuclear deal possibly in Rome this Friday if talks resume with the United States, four diplomats said on Monday, cautioning that there has yet to be a response from the Europeans to the idea. Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the United States that resumed in Oman on Saturday and after talks with Russia and China last week. Omani officials have said a new round of U.S.-Iran talks could be held on May 3 in Europe. No formal decision has been taken. Iran's reach out to Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, suggests Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of U.N. sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires. Two E3 diplomats and a Western diplomat said Iran had communicated after last Saturday's talks with the United States a proposal to meet possibly in Rome on Friday. Should that not be possible, the Iranians also suggested discussions in Tehran before that date, the diplomats said. The second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran took place in Rome with Iran saying serious differences remained. An Iranian official confirmed the proposal, but said the E3 had not responded so far. The European and Western diplomats said the E3 were assessing whether it was in their interest to meet Iran now or wait to see how talks with Washington developed, but ruled out a meeting in Tehran. "It is important to remain on the same page with all parties to the 2015 deal. Therefore, meeting the E3 countries this week ahead of the next round of talks with Americans would be useful," said the Iranian official. UN SANCTIONS DEADLINE Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday he was ready to travel to Europe for talks, although he suggested that the ball was in Europe's court after ties had soured between the two sides. Since September, Tehran and the three European powers have met several times to discuss their ties and the nuclear issue. The most recent meeting in March was held at the technical level, looking at the parameters of a future deal to secure a rollback of Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. Trump, who abandoned the 2015 pact between Tehran and world powers during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it reaches a new deal swiftly that would prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. The West suspects Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, which it denies. The threat of renewed sanctions is intended to pressure Tehran into concessions, making detailed discussions on strategy between the Americans and Europeans vital, diplomats say. Because the United States quit the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, it cannot initiate its mechanism for reimposing sanctions, called snapback, at the United Nations Security Council. That makes the E3 the only participants in the deal who are capable of and interested in pursuing snapback. When asked whether the proposal to meet Europeans was about snapback, the Iranian official indicated that was partly the aim. "Talks with the U.S., particularly on the nuclear steps, are not moving fast and obviously we need more time and Tehran is not much in favour of an interim deal, because of lack of trust to American side," the official said. "What if under an interim deal, we fulfil our step and the other party does not. We need Europeans to understand that we want a new deal and we are ready to take steps to limit our enrichment but we need time." The British and German foreign ministries declined to comment specifically on whether Iran had proposed a meeting for later this week. France's foreign ministry did not immediately respond for comment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
