Iran hits back at US 'lack of seriousness' after change of location for nuclear talks
Talks between Iran and the US over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme appear ready to leave the Middle East, as an Italian source said the next round of negotiations would take place in Rome.
Listen to this article
Iran have claimed "the goalposts were being moved" after nuclear talks were moved from Oman to Italy.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, said the change of location hinted as a "lack of seriousness".
Mr Baghaei wrote on X that moving goalposts in football "constitutes a professional foul and an unfair act".
He said in diplomacy "any such shifting… could simply risk any overtures falling apart".
He added that the move was pushed by "hawks who fail to grasp the logic/art of commonsense deal-making".
Read more: Donald Trump 'very close' to announcing trade deals with 15 countries
Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog separately confirmed he would be taking a trip to Iran later in the week, possibly to discuss ways to improve access for his inspectors to Tehran's programme.
The stakes of the negotiations could not be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash air strikes targeting Iran's nuclear programme if a deal is not reached.
Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
A source in the Italian government confirmed that the next round would take place in Rome on Saturday.
That person's comments came as Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani separately told journalists in Osaka, Japan, that the Italian government has given its approval on hosting the talks.
"We received the request from the interested parties, from Oman, which plays the role of mediator and we gave a positive response," Mr Tajani said.
"We are ready to welcome, as always, meetings that can bring positive results, in this case on the nuclear issue."
Iran later confirmed the venue with an announcement by Iranian state television.
It is likely that Oman, which hosted the first round of talks on Saturday in Muscat, would continue to mediate between the two sides.
"The next round of talks will probably be held somewhere other than Oman," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told journalists in Tehran. "It's not an important matter."
The talks will follow a visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iran later this week.
The IAEA played a key role in verifying Iran's compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and has continued to work in the Islamic Republic, even as the country's theocracy slowly peeled away its access after Mr Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018.
"Continued engagement and cooperation with the Agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed," Mr Grossi wrote on X.
He will arrive in Iran on Wednesday night and will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, the state-run IRNA news agency reported, quoting Kazem Gharibabadi, a deputy foreign minister.