Second round of Iran-US talks in Rome concluded, state media says

Iranian negotiators have no plans to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi during Saturday's nuclear negotiations with the United States in Rome, and he is not present at the talks, Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Saturday, citing a source close to the Iranian delegation.

“Grossi was in Tehran last week and held extensive discussions with relevant Iranian officials,” ISNA quoted the source as saying.

"No meeting between Grossi and the Iranian delegation in Rome is scheduled.”

The report added that only representatives from Iran, the United States, and Oman are present at the venue in Rome, adding that no other parties are involved in the current round of negotiations.

As nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States entered their second round in Rome on Saturday, Iran's top officials convened in Tehran for a joint meeting, bringing together the heads of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, according to state media.

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The meeting was attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

Rome’s selection as a venue for nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States signals a bid by Italy to position itself as a diplomatic bridge in international crises, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Saturday.

“It recognizes a role that Italy has built up—anchored to historic alliances but open to dialogue with all,” Crosetto said during a visit in Taranto.

He added that Italy can serve as a venue “to build peace, to build security, to help create the conditions—even in parts of the world that feel closer than we realize—for ending conflict, ending war, and, in some way, ending terrorism.”

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Israel is the only obstacle to establishing a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying in a meeting with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani on Saturday morning.

Israel is known for possessing dozens of nuclear weapons, although it has never declared itself a nuclear power.

Araghchi, who is in Rome for the second round of talks between Iran and the United States, added that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and that the country rejects weapons of mass destruction based on its religious, national, and defensive principles.

"Israel is driving Iranophobia and instability in the Middle East," ISNA semi-official news outlet quoted Araghchi as saying.

It added that Araghchi called on Europe and the international community to adopt a responsible stance free from such stereotypes against Iran.

Iran plans to propose a series of terms for a new nuclear pact, including guarantees from the Trump administration that the United States will not withdraw from any future agreement, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Iran also plans to discuss how its current stockpile of enriched uranium could be managed under a deal, the process for lifting economic sanctions, and its hopes of arranging a high-level visit to Washington, according to Iranian and Arab officials cited by WSJ.

The report added that a spokesman for US envoy Steve Witkoff declined to comment on Iran’s demands but said, “The President has been clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon or enrichment program.”

“As we continue to talk, we expect to refine a framework and timetable for working towards a deal that achieves the President’s objectives peacefully,” the spokesman added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday is expected to propose a framework Tehran hopes would ensure the US doesn’t withdraw from a future nuclear pact, the report said citing European and Iranian officials and another person familiar with the Iranian position.

According to these sources, as part of those guarantees, Iran wants the US to cover Tehran’s losses if Washington was to pull out of a deal, the report added.