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Iranian, US experts to hold mediated discussions on Wednesday — senior Iranian diplomat

Iran insists that it has the right to uranium enrichment and this is one of Tehran’s redlines at the talks, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi added

DUBAI, April 20. /TASS/. Talks between Iranian and US experts scheduled for April 23 will be held in Oman with the participation of mediators, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.

"The expert and technical discussions of the details of the negotiations will be held in Muscat on Wednesday with the participation of mediators. The sides are currently working on general principles for the talks," he said at a meeting with the Iranian parliament’s national security committee.

Iran insists that it has the right to uranium enrichment and this is one of Tehran’s redlines at the talks, he added.

The second round of talks between the US and Iran concluded on Saturday after nearly four hours of discussions in Rome, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. In these indirect negotiations, the delegations remained in separate rooms and communicated through the Omani mediator.

This session followed the inaugural round held on April 12 in Muscat, where US and Iranian representatives, led respectively by Special Envoy Steven Witkoff and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, engaged in negotiations facilitated by Oman concerning Tehran’s nuclear program.

Like a week ago, Witkoff and Araghchi led their countries’ delegations to the Rome round of consultations. According to the top Iranian diplomat, the sides reached understanding on a range of issues. Witkoff and Araghchi will meet again on April 26 after technical consultations on April 23.

The Omani foreign ministry said after the second round of consultations that the United States and Iran are discussing an agreement that will allow Iran to continue developing its peaceful nuclear energy sector. The agreement is to oblige Tehran abandon its plans to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for lifting the anti-Iranian sanctions.

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