Iran says 'extremely cautious' on success of nuclear talks with US

Iran and the United States have agreed to continue nuclear negotiations next week, both sides confirmed on Saturday, though Iran’s foreign minister struck a note of extreme caution about the prospects for success.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about reaching a new agreement that would block Iran’s pathway to a nuclear weapon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, however, stressed that while discussions were "serious and technical," significant gaps remained.

Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, concluded a third round of indirect talks in Muscat on Saturday, meeting through Omani mediators for around six hours. Their latest session came a week after a "constructive" second round in Rome, according to both sides.

"There are still major and minor differences," Araqchi said in an interview with Iranian state television. "There is seriousness and determination on both sides, but our optimism about the outcome remains extremely cautious."

A senior U.S. administration official described the Muscat talks as "positive and productive," noting that further progress was made and that both sides agreed to meet again "soon" in Europe.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi had earlier indicated that another high-level meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 3, with the venue to be announced.

Ahead of Saturday’s talks, expert-level meetings helped sketch a potential deal framework. Araqchi said these sessions were "beneficial," but added that both sides would now return to their capitals to review points of disagreement.

"The goal is to build confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief," Araqchi reiterated.

In an interview with Time magazine published Friday, Trump sounded confident about the talks, saying, "I think we're going to make a deal with Iran," while also warning that military options remain on the table if diplomacy fails.

Tensions flared during the talks when Iranian state media reported a massive explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas, killing at least four people and injuring hundreds.

Longstanding divisions

Despite both sides voicing a commitment to diplomacy, deep divisions persist. Trump has intensified his "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran since February, reviving sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal he abandoned during his first term.

Since 2019, Iran has increasingly breached the pact’s limits, dramatically ramping up its uranium enrichment to 60% purity—dangerously close to the 90% threshold needed for nuclear weapons, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week that under any new agreement, Iran would have to halt all enrichment activities and import uranium fuel for its Bushehr nuclear plant.

Iranian officials maintain they are open to negotiating some curbs in exchange for sanctions relief, but insist that abandoning enrichment altogether or surrendering their stockpile is a "red line" that cannot be crossed.

Meanwhile, several European diplomats have suggested that any deal should also include limits on Iran’s missile program, aimed at preventing Tehran from developing the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead.

Tehran has flatly rejected such demands, saying its missile programme is non-negotiable.

An Iranian official involved in the negotiations acknowledged that missile restrictions have emerged as a particularly thorny issue, further complicating the path to a deal.