Fifth Round of Iran-U.S. Nuclear Negotiations Concludes in Rome

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The fifth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States has concluded in Rome, Italy, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Friday. This statement comes amid growing skepticism in Tehran regarding the prospects of an agreement, as Washington appears to toughen its stance.

Minister Araghchi shared the news on the Telegram messaging app, alongside a photo of himself with Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, who mediated the discussions, as reported by Arab News.

Araghchi noted that nuclear negotiations with the U.S. are "are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings." However, he told Iran's IRIB news agency that the Iranian and U.S. delegations "have completed one of the most professional rounds of negotiations."

Araghchi also thanked Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani via a phone call for hosting the Friday talks. He expressed hope that "by creating a clearer understanding of the principled positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the American side, tangible progress can be achieved."

Oman's Foreign Minister Al-Busaidi, the mediator, posted on X on Friday, "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."

Two Iranian sources informed CNN that an agreement appears unlikely, primarily because the U.S. insists on Tehran dismantling its uranium enrichment program, a demand Iranian officials believe would derail the talks.

These sources indicated that Iran's participation in the Rome negotiations was merely to gauge Washington's latest position, not to seek breakthroughs. Both sources also told CNN that Tehran harbors increasing doubts about the sincerity of the U.S. in the negotiations.

"The media statements and negotiating behavior of the United States has widely disappointed policy-making circles in Tehran," the sources jointly stated.

"From the perspective of decision-makers in Tehran, when the US knows that accepting zero enrichment in Iran is impossible and yet insists on it, it is a sign that the U.S. is fundamentally not seeking an agreement and is using the negotiations as a tool to intensify pressure."

Initially, some Iranian officials believed Washington might be seeking a "win-win" compromise. However, there is now a consensus that the Trump administration is steering the discussions toward a dead end. The sources added that while neither the U.S. nor Iran wishes to leave the negotiating table, the U.S. position is rendering the talks unproductive, making formal meetings unlikely to continue much longer.

Tehran no longer takes seriously U.S. efforts to distance itself from Israel's hardline stance on Iran, viewing U.S. proposals as aligning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agenda, who insists on no enrichment in Iran.

Sources familiar with the meeting told CNN that U.S. envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, met with Ron Dermer, a trusted aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Rome on the sidelines of the talks.

A senior Trump administration official stated that more talks are needed and both sides agreed to meet "in the near future."

"The talks continue to be constructive – we made further progress,” the official said, “but there is still work to be done." The U.S. side reported that discussions, attended by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, lasted over two hours.

U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, insist that Iran cannot continue any uranium enrichment in any deal that would lift sanctions on Iran's struggling economy. However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed online on Friday morning that any meaningful enrichment means "we do NOT have a deal." "Finding a path to a deal is not rocket science," Araghchi wrote on X. "It's time to decide."

Uranium Enrichment: The Key Negotiation Point

The negotiations aim to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting some US economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, which has nearly half a century of enmity with the U.S. Trump has repeatedly threatened airstrikes targeting Iran's program if an agreement is not reached. Iranian officials have increasingly warned they can develop nuclear weapons with an enriched uranium supply nearing weapons-grade levels.

"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," a new report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said. "These actions reduce the time required to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for a first nuclear device to probably less than one week."

However, experts believe Iran would still need months to produce a functioning bomb.

Uranium enrichment remains at the heart of the debate. Witkoff initially suggested Iran could enrich uranium at 3.67 percent but later began insisting all Iranian enrichment must cease, indicating a hardening of the U.S. position over time.

When asked about the negotiations on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce expressed confidence in their success regarding Washington's demand for no uranium enrichment. "The Iranians are at that table, so they also understand what our position is, and they continue to go," Bruce said.

One idea floated to allow Iran to cease in-country uranium enrichment while maintaining a uranium supply is a consortium in the Middle East backed by regional states and the U.S.

There are also offers from some countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for low-enriched uranium that could be used for peaceful purposes. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry has emphasized that enrichment must continue within the country's borders, and similar fuel swap proposals failed to gain traction during negotiations in 2010.

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