Iran has confirmed that Muscat, the capital of Oman, will continue to host the second round of indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States, scheduled for Saturday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Tuesday that, after consultations, it was agreed that Muscat would remain the venue for the upcoming talks.

The negotiations, focused on Iran’s nuclear programme and the potential lifting of US sanctions, are being facilitated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The previous round also took place in Muscat, where Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi engaged in indirect discussions with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

These discussions follow US President Donald Trump’s March announcement that he had sent a letter to Iranian leaders proposing talks via the United Arab Emirates. Tehran later accepted the idea of indirect negotiations.

Iran initially signed a landmark nuclear agreement in 2015 with six world powers — the US, UK, China, France, Germany, and Russia. The deal limited Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, in 2018, Trump withdrew from the agreement during his first term and reinstated tough sanctions, prompting Iran to gradually reduce its commitments.

Although Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani recently stated that Rome would host the next round of US-Iran talks, Iran has since clarified that the venue remains Oman, though future discussions may rotate locations under Omani coordination.

Speaking from the Osaka Expo 2025 site in Japan, Tajani said Italy is “prepared to do everything necessary to support negotiations that could lead to resolving the nuclear issue and building peace.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that while the venue may change, the indirect structure of the talks and Oman’s mediating role will stay intact. Baghaei added that Tehran values the framework more than the location and reiterated that Iran does not see direct engagement with Washington as effective.

“Indirect talks have been the standard and will continue under Oman’s mediation,” he said.