Expert-Level Talks between Iran, US Postponed to Saturday

By Staff, Agencies

The expert-level talks between Iran and the United States on the technical details of a potential replacement to the 2015 nuclear deal, originally scheduled for Wednesday, have been postponed to April 26.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that the meeting will be held concurrently with the next round of indirect talks between the heads of the two delegations.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the US president’s special envoy for Middle East affairs, led two rounds of indirect talks on Iran’s nuclear program and the termination of US sanctions in the Omani capital of Muscat and the Italian capital, Rome, on April 12 and 19.

The talks were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.

A third round of indirect negotiations between Araghchi and Witkoff is expected to be held in Oman on April 26 to evaluate the results of the expert meetings and gauge how close they are to reaching an agreement.

Separately, Araghchi held a phone conversation on Tuesday with Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

During the call, Araghchi briefed Grossi on the latest developments regarding the talks with the US, emphasizing Iran’s commitment to good faith and seriousness.

Grossi, in turn, praised Iran’s responsible approach and declared the agency’s readiness to offer any assistance in this process, in accordance with its functions and authority as defined by the IAEA statute.

The phone conversation took place ahead of Araghchi's visit to China, where he will hold talks with senior Chinese officials to discuss the indirect talks and the course of bilateral cooperation.