May 24—Negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran met for the fifth time in Rome yesterday, under the mediation of Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.
While official reports cited only limited progress, other sources indicate that negotiators have agreed to develop a framework for a deal, with details to be finalized later. This approach aims to accelerate the process—whereas the 2015 nuclear agreement took 18 months to negotiate, the Trump White House seeks a deal in under three months.
Despite Iran’s insistence that it will never make a deal under threats or pressure from Israel or President Donald Trump, leaked intelligence documents made public by CNN this week revealed Israeli preparations for a strike on Iran’s nuclear sites—an attack that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu would launch regardless of the outcome of these talks.
The basic parameters of the deal have already been agreed upon: Iran will abandon its nuclear weapon ambitions and submit to a more rigorous inspection regime than in the previous agreement. In exchange, Iran will receive sanctions relief and reintegration into the global economy. Additionally, Iran will be permitted to develop a robust civilian nuclear power system for industrial and desalination needs, supported by modular nuclear reactor technology from the United States and other nations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who leads the Iranian negotiating team, told Iranian media after Friday’s talks that discussions remain highly complex and further negotiations are necessary. He noted that al-Busaidi had presented several ideas to bridge the gaps between the sides.
The State Department reported that Trump Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and State Department Planning Director Michael Anton led a team that engaged in "over two hours" of direct and indirect talks with Araghchi and his delegation.
"The talks continue to be constructive—we made further progress, but there is still work to be done. Both sides agreed to meet again in the near future. We are grateful to our Omani partners for their continued facilitation," the U.S. statement said.
Sources indicate that unresolved issues center on Iran’s capability to enrich uranium to fissionable or weapons-grade levels. Intelligence reports suggest Iran will soon possess the knowledge to build a bomb—if it does not already. If Iran can acquire or produce fissionable uranium, it could rapidly develop a nuclear weapon.
Initially, Witkoff and Trump believed this issue could be addressed through enhanced inspections. However, they have since shifted to a position of zero uranium enrichment capability—an approach Iran has categorically rejected, leading to the current impasse.
Sources close to Witkoff suggest he may be exploring a potential solution: allowing Iran to operate enrichment centrifuges—necessary for producing nuclear fuel and medical isotopes—within a facility controlled by Russia and the United States, subject to rigorous inspections.
Iran has also resisted surrendering its uranium stockpile, some of which has been enriched beyond the 3.67% limit set in the previous accord, reaching levels as high as 60%. A possible compromise could involve storing these materials with a trusted third party, such as Russia or China.
"There are ways to reach a deal," a source stated. "They only require that both sides be committed to finding them." The source dismissed speculation that Iran is merely stalling to buy time for nuclear weapon development, asserting that no intelligence suggests Iran is covertly building a bomb.
"Just because Bibi wants a war and believes it is inevitable, don’t assume the Iranians think the same way," the source concluded. "Sure, some people in Iran hold that view, but for others, the search for a fair deal is genuine—and they appear to be in the majority now."
The talks are expected to resume soon.