DUBAI, May 11: Iran and the US have held a fourth round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program, just ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East.
The talks, which took place in Muscat, Oman, were both indirect and direct.
The US has imposed economic sanctions on Iran, aiming to limit its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting some of the sanctions.
Trump has threatened to launch airstrikes against Iran if a deal isn’t reached, while Iranian officials are warning that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their uranium stockpile enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Israel has also threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if it feels threatened.
Iran has insisted that keeping its ability to enrich uranium is a red line for its theocracy. Since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program and enriched uranium to up to 60% purity.
There have also been attacks at sea and on land in recent years, stemming from tensions even before the Israel-Hamas war began.
Iran faces domestic pressures as talks continue, exacerbated by sanctions.
Its troubled rial currency has strengthened dramatically due to the talks alone.
However, the two sides still appear far from any deal, with a two-month deadline imposed by Trump in his initial letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (AP)
