Will they, won't they? US-Iran talks delayed
Shafaq News/ A planned fourth round of indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday, has been postponed due to logistical reasons, Oman’s Foreign Minister announced on Thursday.
Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi announced the delay on X, saying both parties had agreed to reschedule, but no new date has been set. A separate meeting between Iran and the so-called E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) may also be delayed, according to sources familiar with the talks.
For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd. New dates will be announced when mutually agreed.
— Badr Albusaidi - بدر البوسعيدي (@badralbusaidi) May 1, 2025
The diplomatic pause follows renewed tensions, after new US sanctions targeted Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors. The Treasury Department sanctioned seven companies and two vessels accused of facilitating “illicit energy trade” benefiting Tehran’s sanctioned networks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the measures were intended to disrupt transactions worth “hundreds of millions of dollars,” describing the action as part of Washington’s efforts to block Iranian access to oil revenues allegedly supporting its nuclear activities.
Iran condemned the sanctions, calling them “a continuation of the failed maximum pressure campaign.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei accused the United States of “contradictory behavior” and said recent US statements were undermining the path to diplomacy.
Oman, which has long served as a backchannel between Washington and Tehran, has hosted the recent rounds of indirect dialogue aimed at reviving nuclear diplomacy after years of deadlock. While both sides have described previous talks as “constructive,” significant gaps remain over the scope and sequencing of any potential agreement.
Sources close to the negotiations said Iran has floated the idea of an interim deal, expressing concern over a proposed 60-day timeline by the US to finalize a broader framework. US President Donald Trump, who withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord in 2018, has voiced conditional support for resumed talks but warned of “serious consequences” if Tehran refuses to compromise.
