Iran and US plan meetings of technical experts after second round of negotiations

On Saturday, April 19, the second round of talks between an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff took place in Rome, the capital of Italy. The delegations sat in two separate rooms for over four hours as Omani mediators passed written notes between the parties during the indirect talks.

The Iranian foreign minister said, "It was a good session with negotiations moving forward," and confirmed that the next round of high-level talks with the U.S.—scheduled for April 26—would be held in Muscat, the capital of Oman, following technical discussions at the expert level on Wednesday, April 23, also in Oman.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi issued a statement on social media thanking Araghchi and Witkoff "for their highly constructive approach," saying, "These talks are gaining momentum and now even the unlikely is possible."

The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, "The Italian government hopes that together we can reach a positive solution for the Middle East," after meeting with Araghchi in Rome before the second round of talks took place.

A senior official from the Donald Trump administration told CNN, "Today, in Rome, over four hours in our second round of talks, we made very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions."