DUBAI: Despite Tehran’s warning that a fresh agreement might not be feasible due to demands that are mutually exclusive, Iranian and US negotiators started negotiations in Rome on Friday to settle a decades-long conflict over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to Iranian media.
Both sides have a lot on the line. President Donald Trump wants to limit Tehran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon that may endanger Israel and start a regional nuclear arms race. For its side, the Islamic Republic seeks to lift the crippling sanctions imposed on its economy, which is dependent on oil.
Through Omani mediators, a fifth round of negotiations was anticipated between Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
