Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, May 26: In what could mark a significant diplomatic development, US President Donald Trump on Sunday hinted at possible progress in nuclear negotiations with Iran, suggesting that a positive announcement may come within the next two days.
Addressing reporters in northern New Jersey, where he spent the weekend, Trump stated, “We’ve had some very, very good talks with Iran… I don’t know if I’ll be telling you something good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling it might be something good.”
Expressing cautious optimism, the US President added, “We’ve had some real progress, serious progress… Let’s see what happens, but I think we could have some good news on the Iran front.”
The latest fifth round of talks, mediated by Oman, took place at the Omani Embassy in Rome over the weekend. Representing the United States were Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and State Department policy planning chief Michael Anton.
These negotiations mark the highest-level contact between Washington and Tehran since Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal during his first term. Since his return to office in January, Trump has revived his tough "maximum pressure" strategy, while keeping the door open for diplomacy—albeit with a stern warning of possible military consequences if talks fail.
While Washington expressed guarded hope, Tehran struck a more measured tone. Iranian Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi remarked, “The negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.” This sentiment was echoed by Oman's Foreign Minister, who acknowledged that the latest talks concluded “with some but not conclusive progress.”
The Rome discussions come ahead of a key June session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, where Iran’s nuclear programme is set to undergo scrutiny once again.
With both sides keeping their cards close to their chest, the next 48 hours could prove pivotal in shaping the future of West Asian diplomacy—and global nuclear stability.