The Japan Times - US expects Iran talks but Trump presses sanctions

Iran said that a fourth round of talks with the Trump administration, which had been set to take place this weekend in Rome, had been delayed.

Oman, which has mediated between the long-time adversaries, said that "logistical reasons" were to blame for the delay.

But in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that the meeting's date and venue had never been decided.

"We expect another round of talks that will take place in the near future," she told reporters.

Trump, who ripped up an earlier nuclear deal in 2018, has voiced hope at securing a fresh agreement to resolve concerns and stave off the possibility of an Israeli military strike on Iran.

Yet, he has openly spoken of his ambivalence. On returning to office, he vowed a return to "maximum pressure" but said he was doing so reluctantly, at the behest of hawkish advisors.

Iran wants relief from sweeping sanctions imposed by Trump in the first term, including a US attempt to bar all countries from buying Iranian oil.

Trump on Thursday vowed enforcement, a day after the United States imposed sanctions on seven companies accused of transporting Iranian-origin petroleum products.

"All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions," he wrote.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned Iran on social media over support to Yemen's Huthi insurgents, who are being pounded by US airstrikes over their missile firings in the Red Sea in purported solidarity with the Palestinians.

"You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing," Hegseth wrote.

- 'Lack of goodwill' -

Iran's foreign ministry condemned what it called "the contradictory approach of American decision-makers and their lack of goodwill and seriousness in advancing the path of diplomacy."

The sanctions mark the latest US attempt "to disrupt friendly and legal relations between developing countries through economic terrorism," it said.

Steve Witkoff, Trump's business friend turned globe-trotting envoy, has led the talks and voiced optimism about the atmosphere with the Iranians.

Witkoff had earlier hinted at more flexibility in the talks but Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- now also Trump's national security advisor -- has insisted that the goal is the complete dismantlement of Iran's program.

Many Iran watchers believe Tehran will never give up its program as a whole and the previous 2015 agreement, negotiated under former president Barack Obama, allowed a pathway to a limited civilian nuclear program.

The 2015 deal included Russia, China and three European powers -- Britain, France and Germany -- which unsuccessfully sought to dissuade Trump from ripping it up.

The European powers had been set to meet as well with Iran on a technical level on Friday ahead of the US-Iran talks.

"Since that meeting is not taking place, the technical meeting is no longer relevant, at least at that time," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told AFP on a visit to Washington.

Western governments have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire a nuclear weapons capability -- a goal Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes only.

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Y.Mori--JT