Iran signals progress in indirect US talks

Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States have been positive so far, the Iranian government spokesperson said on Sunday, adding that Tehran welcomes any initiative to lift sanctions.

Speaking to the state news agency IRNA, Fatemeh Mohajerani said of the second round of indirect talks held in Rome, "These negotiations are being held with Oman's mediation and in a constructive atmosphere".

Highlighting the importance of lifting sanctions which have crippled Iran's economy since 2018 when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA nuclear agreement, she said, “In the continuation of the negotiation path, we will welcome any practical initiative aimed at lifting sanctions".

Since then, further sanctions have been levied on Iran from around the world for both its crackdown on protesters and human rights abuses at home, as well as Iran's support for Russia's war on Ukraine.

She confirmed that expert-level consultations would continue in the coming days, followed by higher-level talks in Muscat.

However, she also pointed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's position of being neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the negotiations.

"We are neither extremely optimistic nor extremely pessimistic about these talks," Khamenei said last week, adding however that “we are very pessimistic about the other side, but we are optimistic about our own capabilities."

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday night that "optimism may be justified, but only with great caution."

"The second round of negotiations of talks were good and positive in a positive atmosphere."

He added that Iran had explained why the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) was no longer sufficient for many in Iran.