Italy's deputy prime minister: I hope nuclear energy will not be used for weapons

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Saturday he met with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome, praising Italy’s growing diplomatic role at a “critical moment” for peace efforts.

“I welcome Italy’s constructive and increasingly relevant role in support of peace at a critical moment when diplomacy is much needed,” Grossi wrote on X.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also held talks with Tajani, shortly before heading to US-Iran indirect nuclear negotiations now underway at the Omani embassy in Rome.

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said will visit Moscow on Monday, the Omani state news agency reported, as Muscat-mediated nuclear talks between Iran and the United States got underway in Rome on Saturday.

The visit will focus on bilateral cooperation and discussions on regional and international issues, the agency said, without offering further details.

The second round of US-Iran nuclear talks has started at the residence of the Omani ambassador in Rome, according to Axios.

The US delegation has arrived at the Omani embassy in Rome, the venue for indirect talks with Iran, Iranian media reported.

The second round of nuclear negotiations in Rome may face a challenge, an Iranian political commentator close the Reformist camp said, adding that tensions in the talks are likely but do not signal a collapse.

“Any serious disruption will not be publicly acknowledged by the negotiating teams, but it will quickly leak and influence currency, gold prices, and Iran’s political atmosphere,” Ahmad Zeidabadi wrote in a Telegram post on Saturday.

He argued that fluctuations are part of the nature of sensitive negotiations. “Positive news does not mean final success, and negative news does not mean failure,” he said. “The alternative to continued negotiations is extremely risky, with consequences that are unimaginable.”