Talks between Iran and the U.S. over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program appeared ready Monday to leave the Middle East.
US and Iran set to continue nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday
The Natanz Uranium Enrichment Facility buildings, 200 miles (322 km) south of the capital Tehran, on March 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
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An anonymous source in the Italian government confirmed that the next round would take place in Rome on Saturday.
Both Iranian and U.S. officials did not immediately acknowledge the venue of the second round of negotiations.
However, it's likely that Oman, which hosted the first round of talks on Saturday in Muscat, would continue to mediate between the two sides.
While the U.S. can offer sanctions relief for Iran’s beleaguered economy, it remains unclear just how much Iran will be willing to concede.
Judging from negotiations since 2018, Iran will likely ask to keep enriching uranium up to at least 20%.
However, neither side has offered any public statements about what it is specifically seeking in the talks.
“There must definitely be guarantees in place regarding the fulfilment of commitments," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday.
"The issue of guarantees is especially important given the history of broken promises in the past. God willing, the negotiating team will continue its work with all these factors and points in mind,” he added.