Iranian FM arrives in Rome for nuclear deal talks with US

Iran and the United States will hold a new round of nuclear talks in Rome on April 19 to resolve their decades-long standoff over Tehran's atomic aims, under the shadow of President Donald Trump's threat to unleash military action if diplomacy fails, Report informs via Reuters.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will negotiate indirectly through mediators from Oman, a week after a first round in Muscat that both sides described as constructive.

Araqchi has arrived in Rome to attend the second round of the talks, according to a post on his Telegram account. He said in Moscow on Friday that Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme with the United States is possible as long as Washington is realistic.

Tehran has, however, sought to tamp down expectations of a quick deal, after some Iranian officials speculated that sanctions could be lifted soon. Iran's utmost authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said this week he was "neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic."

For his part, Trump told reporters on Friday: "I'm for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific."