OAN Staff Blake Wolf
1:20 PM – Friday, May 23, 2025
The United States attended another round of negotiations with Iran in Rome on Friday, hashing out details of Tehran’s uranium enrichment facilities, which could be used for the development of nuclear weapons.
Friday’s discussions represents the fifth round of discussions.
This week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei initially attacked Washington, D.C.’s position, which called for an end to all uranium enrichment in Iran. However, he also suggested that a deal may be impossible if certain details are tweaked.
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Additionally, Badr al-Busaidi, the Omani mediator at the talks, noted that the discussion had resulted in “some, but not conclusive, progress.”
“The fifth round of Iran US talks have concluded today in Rome with some but not conclusive progress,” al-Busaidi announced in an X post. “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.”
The persistent discord originates from Tehran’s nuclear program, specifically its capacity to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels—an issue that constitutes a strategic red line for the United States.
Nonetheless, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed slight optimism in eventually reaching an agreement that both sides can feel satisfied with.
“I am hopeful that in the next one or two rounds – especially given the better understanding of the Islamic Republic’s positions – we can reach solutions that allow the talks to progress,” Araghchi stated. “We are not there yet, but we are not discouraged either.”
Araghchi revealed the Iranian perspective in what he defined as clear terms, adding: “Figuring out the path is not rocket science: Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. Time to decide…”
The United States is reportedly willing to lift economic sanctions on Iran, that is, if it limits its nuclear program.
“Iran almost certainly is not producing nuclear weapons, but Iran has undertaken activities in recent years that better position it to produce them, if it chooses to do so,” the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency wrote in a recently published report. “These actions reduce the time required to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for a first nuclear device to probably less than one week.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also already announced on Tuesday that the U.S. is attempting to negotiate a deal that would allow Iran to have a nuclear energy program, but without enriching uranium.
Meanwhile, the ongoing negotiations have sparked apprehension in both the United States and Israel, amid fears that Iran may be using the diplomatic process as a sort of stalling tactic to advance its nuclear ambitions. President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued warnings of potential military action if the talks collapse, cautioning that Iran must “act swiftly or face serious consequences.”
The two sides still seem to be far apart regarding the uranium enrichment — as Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei called the United States’ demands “excessive and outrageous.”
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