Latest news with #diplomatictalks
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US-Iran nuclear deal could be reached as soon as next round of talks, sources tell CNN
The fifth round of talks between the US and Iran concluded last Friday in Rome, with Iranian and Omani officials issuing positive statements. An Iranian nuclear deal could be reached during the next round of talks between the United States and Iran, sources told CNN on Wednesday. The report said that mediators are "closing in on a broad agreement" that could be achieved next time the countries meet, likely in a Middle Eastern country. US President Donald Trump also told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "not to disrupt talks," the report noted. On Wednesday, the New York Times alleged that Netanyahu threatened to strike nuclear facilities as the US expressed concern that these strikes would disrupt nuclear talks, preferring to exhaust diplomatic avenues. The Prime Minister's Office responded to the report, saying that it was "fake news." The fifth round of talks between the US and Iran concluded last Friday in Rome, with Iranian and Omani officials issuing positive statements about the future of talks. During these negotiations, US special envoy Steve Witkoff held more than two hours of talks with the Iranian delegation and agreed to meet in the near future. However, the Omani Foreign Minister said in a statement that the fifth round wrapped "with some but not conclusive progress," and that "we hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honorable agreement." Amichai Stein and Reuters contributed to this report.
Wall Street Journal
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Ukraine and Russia Exchange Hundreds More Prisoners of War
Ukraine and Russia struck a deal that will see 1,000 prisoners exchanged from each side following the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow in nearly three years. Photo: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
The National
20-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Qatar discussing ideas with Oman 'to bridge gaps' in US-Iran talks
Qatar on Tuesday said it was discussing ideas with Oman to try to bridge the remaining gaps in talks between Washington and Tehran as Iran 's supreme leader cast doubts on whether negotiations would reach a conclusion. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said he had suggested a trilateral format of engagement with Iran and Oman – the mediator in the recent talks with the US – in order to 'bridge the gaps between the two parties'. "The 'ast thing we want is a nuclear race or round of escalation next to our countries," the'prime minister said from the Qatar Economic Forum. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday said he did not believe the talks with the US were likely to reach a conclusion, as a diplomatic stand-off continues over Tehran's uranium enrichment. 'We don't think it will reach a conclusion. We don't know what will happen,' he said during a speech. Denying Iran the right to enrich uranium was a 'big mistake', he added. Oman has mediated four rounds of talks between the US and Iran since April 12, with the next one yet to be determined. The Qatari Prime Minister said there was a 'positive momentum' based on his conversation with US President Donald Trump who went on a Gulf tour last week that took him to Doha. 'He also wants to avoid any conflict or escalation and this shows leadership and political will. On Iran, we've seen the same positivity,' he said. Last week, Mr Trump said a new nuclear deal was close and that Iran had been provided with a proposal. He told Tehran it needed to 'move quickly or something bad is going to happen'. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran was reviewing the proposal. Fellow Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said talks would fail if the US continued to insist that Tehran refrains from enrichment. Two senior Iranian officials told The National in Tehran that talks were stumbling over the issue of uranium enrichment. Iran has 'not accepted' an invitation from Oman for a fifth round of talks in Rome this Friday, one official said, after US negotiator Steve Witkoff said enrichment would not be allowed under any deal. Enrichment is 'one very, very clear red line' for the Trump administration, Mr Witkoff said on Monday. The officials described negotiations, which are solely focused on nuclear activity and do not extend to other issues such as Iran's ballistic missile capacities or regional policies, as 'respectful' so far. However, there was a 'serious problem' with the US insistence on zero enrichment, one of the officials said, and Iranians have been frustrated by what they see as ambitious and inconsistent positions from Washington. Tehran has repeatedly stated its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful and civilian purposes.
