TEHRAN – Iran and the United States put an end to a fifth round of indirect nuclear talks in Rome on Friday, after a week of high tensions spurred skepticism among Iranians about the American side’s sincerity and commitment to reaching a genuine agreement. 

Oman's Foreign Minister, the mediator of the discussions, was the first to announce the conclusion of the fifth round, using X to state there had been "some" but not "conclusive" progress. “We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honorable agreement,” he added. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff led their respective negotiating teams, as in previous rounds. While Witkoff’s flight schedule required him to leave the Omani diplomatic premises before the others, a team of American experts remained to continue the negotiations, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baqaei speaking briefly to Iran’s national TV during the talks. 

The sincerity of the U.S. commitment to constructive nuclear talks was called into question this past week after Witkoff and other American officials publicly demanded that Iran halt uranium enrichment and dismantle its most important nuclear facilities. These preconditions, which were met with widespread condemnation in Tehran, almost derailed Iranian participation in the latest round of negotiations. Iran’s negotiating team has said to the Tehran Times that uranium enrichment is a non-negotiable red line for Iran, a stance consistently held not only in current negotiations but also in previous nuclear discussions during the 2010s and throughout the past two-and-a-half decades. 

Before heading to Italy to participate in the fifth round of the indirect negotiations, Araghchi reiterated his country’s firm stance.  “Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” he posted on X before his flight. “Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal.”

Following the fifth round’s conclusion on Friday, the top diplomat said discussions had entered a "logical" trajectory. “It seems that there is now a clearer and more precise understanding of Iran’s positions on the American side. I can say that this round was one of the most professional negotiation stages we have experienced so far.”

Araghchi noted that Oman's Foreign Minister had proposed initiatives to facilitate progress, which both sides would discuss separately back home, with “no obligations”. He added that Oman's suggestions had improved the prospects for a breakthrough, but cautioned that the process remained complex and would take longer than "two or three sessions."

Analysts were of the same mind as Araghchi. Amir Ali Abolfath, an expert on North American affairs, said that despite the red lines asserted by both Iran and the U.S. in the past week, the fact that the latest round still yielded some progress indicates a deal is possible, though by no means easy. “What is important is that Iran maintains its uranium enrichment capabilities. We may be able to get a deal fast by ceasing the enrichment of uranium, but we won’t be able to make sure the U.S. stays committed to it if enrichment is halted.” 

The location and timing of a sixth round of talks will be confirmed in the future, according to Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman.