US official says 5th round of talks with Iran “constructive”
A senior US official has described the fifth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States in Rome as constructive, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
The talks, mediated by Oman, took place in Rome, Italy, and included the participation of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with Steve Witkoff, Trump”s envoy.
The American official told Al Jazeera that Friday”s negotiations were constructive, and the two sides made further progress, but there is still work to be done.
The official added that Washington and Tehran have agreed to meet again soon, and expressed gratitude to Omani partners for their continued facilitation of these meetings.
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Iran urges Vatican to take swift action to stop Gaza genocide
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas AraGHchi, who was in Rome to attend the fifth round of indirect talks between Iran and the US, met on Friday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Prime Minister of the Vatican.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Foreign Minister, also attended the meeting.
Araghchi extended condolences over the passing of Pope Francis and congratulated the election of Pope Leo.
During the meeting, Araghchi outlined Iran’s position on the peaceful use of nuclear energy and briefed the Vatican’s senior officials on the ongoing indirect Iran-US negotiations.
He also described the catastrophic situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing the intensifying massacres and continuing genocide in Gaza, and emphasized the legal and moral responsibility of all nations and peoples to denounce and oppose the crimes and to act urgently to stop the atrocities and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Araghchi stated that occupation, apartheid, and gross violations of the Palestinian people’s fundamental rights, including their right to self-determination, are the root causes of insecurity and unrest in West Asia.
He stressed that the so-called two-state solution has become an unrealized promise that has only exacerbated the denial of Palestinian rights, while the Israeli regime is pursuing colonial erasure of Palestine.
Iran’s proposed solution, he added, is the formation of a single democratic state across the entire territory of Palestine, through a referendum with the participation of all original inhabitants — Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
The two sides also discussed the state of Iran-Vatican bilateral relations, interfaith dialogue, and the promotion of peaceful discourse.
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Israel incapable of terminating Iran”s nuclear program
Speaking to CNN, John Kerry touched on the ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, as well as the threats issued by the Zionist regime”s officials to strike Iran”s nuclear facilities.
” I hope he [Trump] could get the best deal possible. I hope he gets a deal… I”m glad that the president is pursuing that. I think it”s really vital.”
Kerry also stressed that alone, all by itself, Israel does not have the capacity to terminate Iran”s nuclear program.
“They [Israel] could damage it. And damage it significantly,” he claimed, adding, “But then that would begin a process of much greater danger in many ways for everybody in the region.”
Iran and the United States held a fifth round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program in the Italian capital of Rome on Friday. Just like the previous rounds, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump”s regional envoy, Steve Witkoff, headed the negotiating delegations in the talks.
“The fifth round of indirect Iran-US talks in Rome ended. In this round, Iran’s principled positions were once again clearly and explicitly explained. The talks were held in a calm and professional atmosphere,” wrote Iran”s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei in a post on his X account on Friday evening.
“The Omani Foreign Minister had proposed solutions and ideas to tackle the obstacles, the outlines and axes of which were examined in this round,” he added.
The Iranian foreign ministry”s spokesman stated that, “It was agreed that, in parallel with further examination in the capitals, the Omani Foreign Minister would continue working on the details of the proposed ideas and provide them to both sides for further studies. The date and place of the next round of talks will be set and announced later.”
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