Axios: US, Iran prepare for fourth round of nuclear talks this weekend

The United States has agreed in principle to hold a fourth round of nuclear talks with Iran this coming weekend, May 10–11, in an effort to advance diplomatic engagement over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The announcement was relayed by US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Whitkoff, as quoted by Axios journalist Barak Ravid on May 5 in a post on X (formerly Twitter), per Caliber.Az.

“Whitkoff informed me that the US is trying to agree to hold a fourth round of nuclear talks with Iran this weekend,” Ravid wrote, adding that, according to the envoy, “If it doesn't happen, it will only be because of [US President Donald Trump's] trip to the Middle East.”

Whitkoff described the ongoing discussions with Iran as constructive, noting measured progress in the talks.

The talks represent the most sustained diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran in several years. The first round of the current dialogue was held in Muscat on April 12, followed by a second round in Rome on April 19, and a third back in Muscat on April 26. Iran’s delegation has been led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the US side is headed by Whitkoff.

A fourth round had originally been planned for May 3, but it was postponed for logistical reasons, according to a May 1 announcement by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, whose country has been facilitating the dialogue.

The negotiations are part of a renewed effort to ease longstanding tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program. In 2015, Iran and a group of international powers—namely the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China—signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The deal, which was intended to curb Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, ended a decade-long standoff that began in 2004 when Western countries accused Tehran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

However, during his first term in office, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the JCPOA, calling it a flawed agreement. Former President Joe Biden repeatedly voiced support for returning to the deal, and since April 2021, multiple rounds of negotiations have taken place involving the original signatories and Iran, aimed at reviving the JCPOA in its original form. To date, those efforts have failed to yield a final agreement.

The recent direct meetings in Muscat and Rome mark the first high-level interactions between US and Iranian officials since 2022. While President Trump has maintained a hardline stance, including statements that he would be prepared to use force should Iran refuse to cooperate, the administration’s current posture appears focused on achieving a diplomatic resolution if at all possible.

By Tamilla Hasanova