TATYANA MAKEYEVA/POOL/AFP
The USA and Iran are set to resume high-stakes talks on Saturday on Tehran's nuclear programme, a week after an initial round of discussions that both sides described as "constructive".
Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi arrived in Rome where he was set to join Oman-mediated talks with US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
This comes one week after the two sides conducted what Iran called indirect talks in Muscat. Those were the first discussions at such a high level between the foes since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.
Western countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons -- an allegation Tehran has consistently denied, insisting that its programme is for peaceful civilian purposes.
Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations since shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
Following his return to office in January, Trump revived his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions against Iran.
In an interview published on Wednesday by French newspaper Le Monde, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran was "not far" from possessing a nuclear bomb.
During Trump's first term, Washington withdrew from the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers which offered Iran relief from international sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Tehran complied with the agreement for a year after Trump's withdrawal before scaling back its compliance.
