Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who was the mediator in the high-stakes talks, said that both Iran and the US have agreed to resume negotiations “soon” after they hold meetings with their respective capitals

Iran and the US have made “significant progress” in the latest round of talks on nuclear issues in Geneva, mediator country Oman has said; however, the chances of a deal to avoid a war still remain unclear.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who served as the mediator in the high-stakes talks, said that both Iran and the US have agreed to resume negotiations “soon” after meetings with their respective capitals, while technical-level discussions would be held in Vienna next week.

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Similarly, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was leading the delegation from Iran’s side, said “good progress” had been made, adding that there were agreements on some issues, while some others remained points of contention.

He said that the next round of meetings would happen as early as next week.

What happened during the negotiations?

According to Iranian state media, Tehran’s negotiators reaffirmed the country’s right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy and rejected US demands to halt uranium enrichment entirely and transfer its 400kg (880lb) stockpile of enriched uranium abroad.

However, officials are believed to have floated potential concessions, though the details have not been disclosed publicly. One reported proposal would allow Iran to resume uranium enrichment at a limited level after a three- to five-year suspension, subject to international monitoring.

Araghchi said that in return for a deal, negotiators demanded the lifting of sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.

US buildup

As part of the dramatic US buildup, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, sent to the Mediterranean this week, left a naval base in Crete on Thursday, an AFP photographer said.

Washington currently has more than a dozen warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier – the USS Abraham Lincoln – nine destroyers and three other combat ships.

It is rare for there to be two US aircraft carriers, which carry dozens of warplanes and are crewed by thousands of sailors, in the region.

The developments follow massive protests in Iran during which, rights groups say, thousands of demonstrators were killed.

With inputs from agencies

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