Two senior US diplomats will travel to Rome to participate in the next round of talks with Iran, a source familiar with the matter said Thursday, as President Donald Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a potential deal.
The White House said President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about a potential deal with Iran, “which the president believes is moving along in the right direction.”
“As the President told me, and he’s told all of you, this deal with Iran could end in two ways: It could end in a very positive diplomatic solution, or it could end in a very negative situation for Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Washington and Tehran have been engaged in direct and indirect talks for several weeks now after Trump announced that he wanted to reach a new deal to stave off potential military action against Iran’s nuclear program.
“Senior Advisor and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Policy Planning Director Michael Anton will travel to Rome on Friday for a fifth round of talks with Iran. Discussions are expected to be both direct and indirect, as in previous rounds,” the source said in a statement.
Oman’s top diplomat and Iran confirmed on Wednesday that the next round will be held on Friday.
Despite setting a two-month deadline, Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, said this week that reaching a deal will not be easy. Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the administration was offering an “off-ramp” for Iran to pursue prosperity and peace.
“It will not be easy, but that’s the process we’re engaged in now,” Rubio said.
