TEHRAN -- Expert-level Iran-U.S. talks that were supposed to take place on Wednesday will be shifted to Saturday, Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said, with a third round of high-level nuclear talks due on the same day in Oman.
Iran and the United States agreed on Saturday to begin drawing up a framework for a potential nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the talks in Rome that a U.S. official described as yielding “very good progress”.
“Based on Oman’s suggestion and the agreement of U.S. and Iranian delegations, the technical consultation meeting, in the framework of indirect talks between the two sides, that was supposed to take place on Wednesday... has been moved to Saturday,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday.
Top U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet again in Oman on Saturday to “review the experts’ work and assess how closely it aligns with the principles of a potential agreement”, Araghchi had said.
Araghchi will visit China on April 23 at the invitation of China, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.
The two sides will discuss bilateral relations and international and regional hot-spot issues of common concern, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference.
The visit is believed to have great significance for deepening political mutual trust between the two countries, Guo told reporters.
The announcement came after the Iranian foreign ministry said on Monday that its top diplomat will visit China on Tuesday, ahead of a third round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington,
In a trip to Moscow last week, Araghchi told national TV that Tehran always closely consults with its friends, Russia and China, over nuclear issues.
Ali Vaez, the Iran Director of the International Crisis Group, told the New York Times that “talks advancing to the technical phase showed a level of pragmatism,” and that U.S. calls for a complete end to Iran’s enrichment is likely “public posturing.”
U.S. President Donald Trump had repeatedly threatened Iran with a bombing campaign in the weeks leading up to the negotiations.
 Nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington have been progressing “better than expected,” according to sources cited by Al-Araby al-Jadeed on Tuesday.
“We expect an agreement between Tehran and Washington within the next two months, possibly sooner. The Iranian–American negotiations are progressing better than expected,” the sources said. 
“The Iranian side was surprised by the behavior of the American negotiator, showing seriousness, 
urgency, and a lack of non-nuclear related, unrealistic demands so far. There is U.S. approval of the principle of Iran’s right to enrich uranium,” they added.  
The sources went on to say that Iran “has presented suggestions to reassure the other party regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.”
A senior U.S. official was cited as saying in western media reports over the weekend that there was “very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions.” Araghchi also noted that progress was made on certain points.
The Islamic Republic has rejected a dismantlement of its uranium enrichment capabilities, which U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff publicly called for recently. 
On Tuesday, Araghchi denounced certain special interest groups for attempting to derail the ongoing diplomatic efforts by promoting “maximalist demands” and smearing negotiators.
In a post published on his official X account, the top diplomat emphasized that these groups are laboring to manipulate the course of diplomacy and goad the U.S. administration into making excessive demands.
Araghchi’s remarks were made after cancellation of his scheduled keynote address at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference.
The cancellation followed, what turned out to be, an “orchestrated pressure” campaign from “Israeli-affiliated hawkish elements” and officials from administrations of former U.S. presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Araghchi clarified that his intention was not to use the speech to address the nuances of ongoing indirect talks between the two sides in public, but to explain Iran’s mindset and aspirations.
He expressed regret over the decision, attributing it to a lack of understanding of the sensitive dynamics involved in the diplomatic process.
The post also featured the complete text of the foreign minister’s speech, in which he reiterated Iran’s longstanding commitment to the principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
He emphasized the country’s opposition to nuclear weapons on moral and religious grounds.
“As one of the founding signatories of the NPT back in the 1960s, Iran has long been committed to the principles of universal access to peaceful nuclear technology and rejection of atomic weapons,” Araghchi wrote. 
“We are also the only country on the planet that officially opposes nuclear arms on moral and religious grounds,” through a religious decree (fatwa) by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Araghchi further highlighted Iran’s advocacy for a nuclear weapon-free zone in the West Asia region and criticized Western countries for turning a blind eye to the Israeli regime’s expansive nuclear arsenal, calling for an end to this double standard.
The foreign minister stressed that any future agreement had to guarantee Iran’s economic benefits, besides addressing “concerns of all parties.”
He said the talks have to remain focused solely on the removal of the U.S.’s illegal and unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic as well as the nuclear issue.
The Islamic Republic’s security ill, therefore, never be subject to negotiation, he asserted.
“In a region as rough and volatile as ours, Iran will never put its security up for negotiation.”
Araghchi said Iran’s pursuit of civilian nuclear energy aligns with its national developmental and economic goals.
He said the Islamic Republic has never opposed economic and scientific collaboration with the United States, noting that previous American administrations had been the obstacle, often influenced by special interest groups.
Araghchi, however, mentioned that Iran’s economy presents significant opportunities for U.S. enterprises, particularly in generating clean electricity from non-hydrocarbon sources.
Araghchi said threats and pressure against the Iranian nation had been counterproductive throughout history, closing avenues for compromise.
He called for constructive engagement rooted in mutual respect and equal standing, asserting that Iran should not be treated as an exception within the global nonproliferation framework, and that nuclear-armed states also have to accept elimination of their non-conventional arsenals.