Gharibabadi: The Venue for the Second Round of Negotiations is 'Rome'; Focus Solely on Nuclear Issues

Kazem Gharibabadi, the Deputy for Legal and International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, announced in a television interview on Wednesday evening, April 27, that Iran is ready to achieve a 'sustainable understanding' with the United States in the ongoing negotiations. However, he emphasized that the focus of these discussions will solely be on lifting sanctions and nuclear issues, and will not delve into other matters. The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister pointed out that the venue for the second round of talks is 'so far' the city of Rome, Italy, stating that Iran is not sensitive to the location or timing of the negotiations, and Oman continues to play a mediating role. He stated that 'the second round will focus on determining frameworks. The lifting of sanctions must be tangible for Iran, and we need to see what topics we should focus on. Frameworks will be discussed and if this framework progresses well, we can put drafting the text on the agenda.' Gharibabadi stressed that the lifting of sanctions must be 'tangible' and measurable for Iran. He noted, 'If the other side continues with the same approach it had in the first round, progress in the second round will not be far-fetched.' He also mentioned that 'no discussions about Iran's military capabilities took place' in the first round of negotiations, and regarding the second round, he stated, 'It is still too early to involve the International Atomic Energy Agency in the negotiations.' Gharibabadi also reacted to recent statements by Steve Witikoff, Trump's special representative for Middle East affairs and head of the U.S. negotiating team. Witikoff, in a message on social media X, called for a complete halt to Iran's enrichment and military program, stating that a 'strict and sustainable agreement' must be reached; this position contradicts his recent television interview with Fox News, where he emphasized 'Iran's right to enrich at 3.67 percent.' In response to Witikoff's remarks, Gharibabadi said, 'For the negotiating team, what is important is to be informed and aware of the opinions of the other side at the negotiating table. We cannot ignore the media positions of the other side and must monitor them, but we must rely on the positions expressed at the negotiating table.' He added, 'Our request from the other side is that if they are truly serious, they must enter negotiations with real and logical requests.' Before him, Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, also reacted to Witikoff's remarks, stating, 'Iran's right to enrich is non-negotiable, and real positions will be clarified at the negotiating table.' These developments come as Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has stated that he does not want much from Iran and his only goal is to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He has also warned that if no agreement is reached, secondary sanctions against Iran will be imposed, and he has even mentioned the option of military action. Representatives from Iran and the U.S. described the first round of talks in Oman on April 22 as 'positive.' Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has reacted positively to the first round of negotiations with the U.S. but has stated that he is 'neither excessively optimistic nor excessively pessimistic.' The two countries also had indirect discussions during Joe Biden's presidency, but little progress was made.