Araghchi, Witkoff spoke face to face in Rome, US official says - AP

At a point during the negotiations in Rome, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke face to face, a US official confirmed to reporters, according to the Associated Press.

The two chief negotiators had previously encountered each other following the first round of talks in Muscat in the presence of the Omani foreign minister.

At the time, Iranian officials said the face-to-face interaction in Oman was very brief, describing it as merely an exchange of greetings. However, Axios reported that the two sides spoke for 45 minutes.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly emphasized in recent weeks that the talks must remain indirect, rejecting the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States.