Conservative Iranian daily says talks with US bound to fail

An Iranian lawmaker said talks between Iran and the United States are likely to continue, noting that US President Donald Trump trusts his chief envoy despite political pressure at home.

Fadahossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told local media that Trump “is under pressure from some hardliners,” but his negotiator, Steve Witkoff, “is trusted by him.”

Maleki said Iran was satisfied with the format and agenda of the first round of talks held in Muscat earlier this month, and that the second round in Rome will focus exclusively on nuclear issues.

“I am optimistic,” Maleki said, adding that the discussions are expected to define a framework for possible future negotiations.

Israel is considering a limited strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months, even as President Donald Trump has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US is not ready to support such a move, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources.

“We have intelligence from reliable sources that Israel is planning a major attack on Iran’s nuclear sites,” a senior Iranian security official told Reuters. “This stems from dissatisfaction with ongoing diplomatic efforts regarding Iran’s nuclear program, and also from Netanyahu’s need for conflict as a means of political survival.”

Israeli sources told Reuters that a scaled-down operation requiring less US assistance is now being weighed. “No decision has been made yet,” a senior Israeli official said.

Earlier this month, Trump told Netanyahu that Washington wanted to focus on talks. “I’m not in a rush,” he said Thursday. “If there’s a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran.”

The report said Israel has asked Washington to help defend against any Iranian retaliation in the event of a strike.

Major gaps in international knowledge of Iran’s nuclear material and infrastructure could undermine any new agreement between Tehran and Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing diplomats and nuclear experts.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has lost “continuity of knowledge” regarding key parts of Iran’s nuclear program, including its stockpile of centrifuges and components, according to the report. Iran has restricted monitoring since 2021 and stopped sharing footage from surveillance cameras at sensitive sites.

“Implementing a new deal without having a clear inventory of what nuclear material and infrastructure Iran currently has would be extremely risky,” the report said.

“Without that baseline, it is next to impossible to ensure that Iran is complying with detailed limits on its nuclear enrichment under a deal.”

Rebuilding a full picture of Iran’s nuclear assets could take up to six months, diplomats told the Journal, a timeline that complicates efforts to meet the two-month deadline reportedly set by the Trump administration for securing a deal.

A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that Iran is committed to diplomacy but approaches the latest round of talks with the United States cautiously, citing past experience.

“We are aware that it is not a smooth path, but we take every step with open eyes, relying also on the past experiences,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X ahead of the talks in Rome.

He added that Iran has “always demonstrated, with good faith and a sense of responsibility, its commitment to diplomacy as a civilized way to resolve issues, in full respect of the high interests of the Iranian nation.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Rome on Saturday to lead his country’s delegation in the second round of nuclear talks with the United States, Iranian media reported.

The talks, mediated by Oman, are set to begin later in the day.

The first round was held on April 12 in Muscat.

Like the previous round, the negotiations will be conducted indirectly through written and oral exchanges, according to state media.

Accompanying Araghchi are senior Iranian officials including Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, legal affairs chief Kazem Gharibabadi, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, and senior adviser Behzad Saberi.

Iranian officials have said the talks are strictly focused on nuclear issues and will not include discussions on regional matters, defense capabilities, or dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.