Iran and United States schedule fourth round of talks

Monday, April 28, 2025 

On Saturday, April 26, Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and United States (U.S.) delegation led by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff held the third round of talks for around six hours in Muscat, the capital of Oman, with Omani diplomats mediating. The high-level talks have aligned with the technical talks which have been postponed from Wednesday, the originally scheduled date, to Saturday. Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi from Iran and Michael Anton from U.S. lead the expert delegations.

After the talks, Abbas Araghchi said "During the recent round of negotiations, we provided answers to the other side's questions, and the atmosphere was completely serious and work-focused. ... It was agreed that further reviews would be conducted in the capitals ahead of the next meeting to identify ways to narrow the gaps."

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi stated that the talks had indicated "a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments".

A senior US administration official spoke of the talks as productive and positive, saying "There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal" and that both sides agreed to meet again in Europe "soon".

Before this round of talks, Araghchi also attended the 29th Muscat International Book Fair on Friday, where he signed copies of his book "The Power of Negotiation" at the Dar Luban pavilion. The exhibition includes Iran's pavilion organized by the Iran Book and Literature House, in collaboration with the Cultural Attaché Office in Oman.

The next round of talks, both high-level and technical, was provisionally scheduled to be held on May 3, also in Muscat.