Iran and the United States held “constructive” discussions over the Iranian nuclear programme.The second round of Oman-mediated talks in Rome took place on Saturday, a week after the first session in Muscat, the Omani capital.
“Technical discussions” are now expected to begin on Wednesday in Oman, after which more high-level meetings will be held to move closer to an agreement.
So, what are these technical discussions? And is an agreement likely?
Here’s what you need to know:
What are these technical talks?
On Wednesday, working-level experts from both sides will begin discussing the inner workings of sanctions relief and how that relates to Iran’s nuclear programme.
The sanctions regimes imposed on Iran are complex and multilayered, and each layer has to be linked to a specific action or guarantee Iran is being asked to undertake with regard to its nuclear programme.
Three days after these talks, another round of high-level talks will be held in Muscat.
The last two rounds were indirect talks between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, passing messages through Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
Police officers at one of the entrances to the Omani embassy, where the second round of US-Iran talks took place in Rome, Italy, on April 19, 2025 [Vincenzo Livieri/Reuters]
How did we get here?
Officials are optimistic about the progress on talks that started with US President Donald Trump threatening Tehran with attacks if it did not negotiate. Advertisement
In early March, Trump s …