The fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, originally scheduled for 3 May 2025 in Rome, has been postponed and is now expected to take place in Oman shortly. While President Trump negotiates to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment, Tehran has clearly indicated that its right to enrichment is non-negotiable—complicating prospects for meaningful progress. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who has been mediating the talks, said the delay was due to ‘logistical reasons’. The ongoing nuclear talks between the US and Iran are the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at preventing the latter from developing and acquiring nuclear weapons. Given past precedence and Trump’s known impatience, there is concern that these discussions may follow a familiar pattern—achieving only limited outcomes unless both sides demonstrate greater flexibility. Knowing Trump, he will drive a hard bargain, but this may not be sufficient, as Iran seeks to regain its position as a leader in the Middle East.
Oman’s role as facilitator
Away from the media spotlight, the talks mediated by Oman are not new. Muscat had earlier mediated between the major powers and Iran on the latter’s nuclear program, leading to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement. Both the US and Iran regard Oman as a trusted intermediary, known for its discretion in such matters. Importantly, Muscat sees itself not as a mediator with an agenda, but as a facilitator, offering assistance only when both sides request it. This makes Oman the ideal ‘neutral’ nation, which is why both Washington and Tehran prefer Muscat to facilitate talks. Oman expects nothing in return for its efforts; rather, this form of quiet diplomacy is part of its strategic toolkit, giving it a comparative advantage over other nations in bringing even deeply opposed parties to the table.
Two major sticking points clearly emerge. The first is Iran’s firm stand that its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable. The other issue is geo-political and flows from Netanyahu’s stand that Iran must have “zero enrichment”, as was the case with Libya.
This time around, the second Trump administration has a single-minded goal: Iran should not acquire any nuclear weapons. Pertinently, since the last round of P5+1-Iran talks, Tehran has significantly advanced its uranium enrichment program and is now enriching uranium to 60% purity. What can the US offer Iran in return for a complete halt on enrichment? Obviously, the answer is the total lifting of sanctions.
