This handout picture provided by the Iranian Foreign Ministry shows Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (L) meeting with an Omani official upon his arrival in Muscat, Oman, April 25, 2025. The United States and Iran are holding a fresh round of technical and high-level nuclear negotiations in Oman on April 26, after both sides reported progress in previous meetings. /VCG

Iran and the United States have agreed to continue nuclear talks next week, both sides said on Saturday, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi voiced "extreme cautious" about the success of the negotiations to resolve a decade-long standoff.

Araqchi and America's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, held a third round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators for around six hours, a week after a second round in Rome that both sides described as constructive.

"The negotiations are extremely serious and technical ...there are still differences, both on major issues and on details," Araqchi told Iranian state TV. "There is seriousness and determination on both sides ... However, our optimism about success of the talks remains extremely cautious."

He added that the two sides "gradually entered into some more detailed and technical discussions" during the third round of indirect talks.

"We exchanged our views in writing several times. In indirect talks, technical discussions require some precision, and, therefore, positions were mainly exchanged in writing," he said.

A senior U.S. administration official described the talks as positive and productive, adding that both sides agreed to meet again in Europe "soon."

"There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal," the official added.

Earlier, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said talks would continue next week, with another "high-level meeting" provisionally scheduled for May 3. Araqchi said Oman would announce the venue.

Ahead of the lead negotiators' meeting, expert-level indirect talks took place in Muscat to design a framework for a potential nuclear deal.

"The presence of experts was beneficial ... we will return to our capitals for further reviews to see how disagreements can be reduced," Araqchi said.

An Iranian official briefed on the talks told Reuters earlier that the expert-level negotiations were "difficult, complicated and serious."

The only aim of these talks, Araqchi said, was "to build confidence about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief."

U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview with Time magazine published on Friday, said, "I think we're going to make a deal with Iran," but he repeated a threat of military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.

Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with six major countries - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

However, the United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018 during Trump's first term and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the nuclear deal have not achieved substantial progress.

Oman has been facilitating the dialogue between the two sides to help narrow differences and promote regional stability. With Omani mediation, the first round of Iran-U.S. talks was held in Muscat on April 12 and the second round a week later in Rome.

(With input from agencies)

Source: CGTN