Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Rome, images broadcast early Saturday by Iranian state television showed, where he was set to join Oman-mediated talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

Iranian state television reported that the talks in the Italian capital would begin at 0830 GMT.

The meeting comes a week after the two sides conducted what Iran called indirect talks in Muscat. Those were the first discussions at such a high level between the foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.

Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons – an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.

Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.

Following his return to office in January, Trump revived his “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions against Iran.

In March he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging renewed nuclear talks while warning of military action if diplomacy failed.

“I’m not in a rush” to use the military option, Trump said on Thursday. “I think Iran wants to talk.”

On Friday Araghchi said Iran “observed a degree of seriousness” on the US side during the first round but questioned their intentions.

“Although we have serious doubts about the intentions and motivations of the American side, in any case we will participate in tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) negotiations,” he said at a press conference in Moscow.

In a social media post early on Saturday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was “aware that it is not a smooth path but we take every step with open eyes, relying also on the past experiences”.

‘Crucial stage’

In an interview published on Wednesday by French newspaper Le Monde, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran was “not far” from possessing a nuclear bomb.

During Trump’s first term, Washington withdrew from the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers which offered Iran relief from international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

In an interview published on Wednesday by French newspaper Le Monde, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran was “not far” from possessing a nuclear bomb.

During Trump’s first term, Washington withdrew from the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers which offered Iran relief from international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

‘Non-negotiable’

Iranian officials have insisted that the talks only focus on its nuclear programme and lifting of sanctions.

Araghchi said a deal with the US was “likely” if Washington refrained from “making unreasonable and unrealistic demands,” without elaborating.

Analysts had said the United States would push to include discussions over Iran’s ballistic missile programme as well as Tehran’s support for militants in the Middle East.

Araghchi said Iran’s right to enrich uranium was “non-negotiable”, after Witkoff called for its complete halt. Witkoff had previously demanded only that Iran return to the ceiling set by the 2015 deal.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the country’s military capabilities were off limits in the discussions.

Iran’s regional influence and its missile capabilities were among its “red lines” in the talks, the official IRNA news agency reported.

On Friday US ally Israel affirmed its commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, saying it had a “clear course of action” to prevent this.

Khamenei on Tuesday said Iranians should not pin hopes on progress in the negotiations which “may or may not yield results.”