The Omani Foreign Minister, Badr al-Busaidi, reported the end of today’s round of talks between the United States and Iran, stressing that “significant progress” had been achieved and that the dialogue would resume soon after consultation in the relevant capitals.
In his statement, Al Busaidi indicated that the negotiators would return to dialogue in the near future, announcing that technical discussions would be held in Vienna next week, which reflects the shift in the negotiation process to a more specialized and detailed stage.
The Omani Minister also expressed his thanks and appreciation to all parties that contributed to the success of this round, thanking the negotiators, the International Atomic Energy Agency, in addition to the Swiss government for hosting and facilitating these meetings.
It is evident from the Omani announcement that the talks have gone beyond the stage of presenting general positions, and have entered into technical discussions related to the nuclear file and implementation and monitoring mechanisms, a step that is often considered an indication of the seriousness of the parties in reaching realistic understandings.
These developments come in light of the political and military escalation that the region has witnessed in recent months, accompanied by mutual threats and increasing tension over the Iranian nuclear program and the sanctions imposed on Tehran. However, the start of the latest negotiating rounds has restored hope for a diplomatic solution, with international focus on the role played by Omani mediation in narrowing differences.
The previous rounds witnessed major differences on the issues of uranium enrichment, lifting sanctions, and guarantees not to withdraw from any future agreement, which makes the move to technical discussions in Vienna a decisive step in the course of the negotiations.
