ROME — The next critical round of indirect nuclear negotiations involving Iran, the United States, and Oman will be held in Rome this Saturday, officials confirmed late Wednesday. This clarification followed days of contradictory media reports and public statements regarding the venue, highlighting the ongoing diplomatic challenges that mark every engagement with the Iranian regime.
The announcement came from a senior aide to Iranian nuclear envoy Abbas Araghchi, who noted Oman’s continued engagement as a mediator. The confusion began earlier in the week when Italian press declared Rome as host, followed within hours by a denial from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, suggesting Oman would instead host the event. The episode underlines Tehran’s frequent use of ambiguity and strategic messaging as it negotiates under international pressure and amid domestic instability.
Diplomatic sources indicated that the sudden venue switch—and public confusion—reflect conventional tactics by Iran to maintain uncertainty, leverage its negotiating position, and test Western resolve. Such maneuvers have become routine in the complex diplomatic environment shaped by Iran’s pursuit of weapons-capable nuclear technology and its systematic support for a terror proxy network targeting Israel and its allies. Since the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), talks have repeatedly faltered over Iran’s refusal to provide full transparency for its nuclear activities and halt its regional destabilization campaigns.
For Israel and Western countries, the renewed talks unfold against a background of verified Iranian violations of enrichment restrictions, direct support for designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, and a growing regional threat network directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Intelligence assessments in Israel consistently highlight Tehran’s use of negotiations to buy time and gain strategic depth, even as it moves closer to a nuclear weapon capability that would directly threaten regional security.
The Omani role as intermediary reflects the sensitivity of U.S.-Iranian diplomacy, given that direct talks are politically untenable for Iran’s leadership. In recent years, Oman has channeled communications between the two sides, providing a backchannel for dialogue and de-escalation during heightened tensions. The Rome round is expected to address restrictions on uranium enrichment, regional security assurances, and the fate of Western detainees held in Iran—but officials on all sides acknowledge prospects for a broader breakthrough are slim.
Iran’s participation in this latest diplomatic round comes at a time of significant internal and external strain. The Iranian economy is under severe pressure amid continuing Western sanctions, and widespread protests against the regime have challenged the authority of the IRGC. Despite these challenges, Tehran continues to orchestrate and arm regional proxy groups, fueling violence against Israel and U.S. interests. In the wake of the Hamas-orchestrated October 7, 2023 massacre—the deadliest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust—Iran’s material support for terror operations has come under renewed international scrutiny.
Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, has made clear that any agreement which fails to impose verifiable limits on Iran’s enrichment capabilities or to address its enduring terror sponsorship is unacceptable from a security perspective. The ongoing war on multiple fronts imposed by Iranian-backed groups underscores Israel’s commitment to self-defense and to confronting the Iranian threat directly if diplomatic efforts falter.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, continue to advocate for diplomacy as the primary tool for preventing nuclear escalation, asserting that no outcome is preferable to a regional war. However, repeated cycles of talks and violations have led to deep skepticism within Israel and among many Western policymakers who stress the necessity of military deterrence alongside diplomacy.
The choice of Rome is notable, as Italy seeks to maintain a mediating stance within the European Union. While Germany and France have joined Israel and the U.S. in condemning Iran’s terror proxies and nuclear brinkmanship, the Italian government, alongside Oman, is seen as able to facilitate dialogue even amid profound mistrust.
Ultimately, the new round of talks is viewed in Jerusalem and Washington as part of a long-term struggle: Iran’s ongoing quest for nuclear capabilities and regional dominance versus the Western alliance’s efforts to prevent further destabilization. As the Rome talks begin, the world’s attention will remain fixed on Iranian compliance with international demands, and above all on Israel’s unwavering resolve to protect itself from existential threats posed by Iran’s terror apparatus and its nuclear ambitions.
