The fifth round of talks between the United States and Iran was held in Rome on May 22, with US administration officials reiterating that any agreement must ensure Iran cannot retain an enrichment program. Iran continues to insist that the only acceptable basis for negotiations is “continued low-level enrichment for civilian purposes.” The parties agreed to meet again soon.
The round was preceded by a phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, during which, according to a White House spokesperson, Trump expressed his desire to reach an agreement with Iran—if possible—and stated that the negotiations are “heading in the right direction.” The spokesperson added that the president is a dealmaker who strongly believes in diplomacy. The publication of these remarks appears to be a clear signal to Israel to refrain, at least for now, from considering a military strike. This message is particularly significant in light of American media reports that US intelligence has detected indications of Israeli preparations for a strike on Iran.
Iran hopes that the negotiations will lead to an agreement based on its core position regarding its right to enrichment. Tehran has indicated it is prepared to take the necessary steps to reassure that it has no intention of pursuing a military nuclear program. At the end of the fifth round, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that this was one of the most professional rounds of negotiations to date, and that he believes there is now a better understanding of Iran’s positions. He hinted that technical proposals for bridging the gaps had been presented, and that once both parties review them, the next rounds of talks could focus on formulating an agreement. At the same time, Iran has escalated the threats against Israel, apparently in an effort to deter military action. Tehran appears well aware of the growing Israeli discourse surrounding a “window of opportunity” to strike Iran’s nuclear program, especially after the significant blows suffered by its regional proxies—particularly Hezbollah—and Iran’s vulnerabilities following Israel’s strike in October 2024.
After five rounds of talks, it’s clear that both the United States and Iran are interested in continuing to exhaust the diplomatic channel. The timeline requires an agreement in the near future to determine whether the “snapback” mechanism—reinstating UN Security Council sanctions—will be triggered before the October deadline. US officials have indicated that the current goal is to formulate the core parameters of a new agreement, leaving many details for future negotiations. However, if the parties move forward along this track, there are concerns that the negotiations on the technical aspects could encounter difficulties, potentially preventing the implementation of the proposed framework—while allowing Iran to buy time and postpone the activation of the snapback mechanism.
The fifth round of talks between the United States and Iran was held in Rome on May 22, with US administration officials reiterating that any agreement must ensure Iran cannot retain an enrichment program. Iran continues to insist that the only acceptable basis for negotiations is “continued low-level enrichment for civilian purposes.” The parties agreed to meet again soon.
The round was preceded by a phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, during which, according to a White House spokesperson, Trump expressed his desire to reach an agreement with Iran—if possible—and stated that the negotiations are “heading in the right direction.” The spokesperson added that the president is a dealmaker who strongly believes in diplomacy. The publication of these remarks appears to be a clear signal to Israel to refrain, at least for now, from considering a military strike. This message is particularly significant in light of American media reports that US intelligence has detected indications of Israeli preparations for a strike on Iran.
Iran hopes that the negotiations will lead to an agreement based on its core position regarding its right to enrichment. Tehran has indicated it is prepared to take the necessary steps to reassure that it has no intention of pursuing a military nuclear program. At the end of the fifth round, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi stated that this was one of the most professional rounds of negotiations to date, and that he believes there is now a better understanding of Iran’s positions. He hinted that technical proposals for bridging the gaps had been presented, and that once both parties review them, the next rounds of talks could focus on formulating an agreement. At the same time, Iran has escalated the threats against Israel, apparently in an effort to deter military action. Tehran appears well aware of the growing Israeli discourse surrounding a “window of opportunity” to strike Iran’s nuclear program, especially after the significant blows suffered by its regional proxies—particularly Hezbollah—and Iran’s vulnerabilities following Israel’s strike in October 2024.
After five rounds of talks, it’s clear that both the United States and Iran are interested in continuing to exhaust the diplomatic channel. The timeline requires an agreement in the near future to determine whether the “snapback” mechanism—reinstating UN Security Council sanctions—will be triggered before the October deadline. US officials have indicated that the current goal is to formulate the core parameters of a new agreement, leaving many details for future negotiations. However, if the parties move forward along this track, there are concerns that the negotiations on the technical aspects could encounter difficulties, potentially preventing the implementation of the proposed framework—while allowing Iran to buy time and postpone the activation of the snapback mechanism.