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Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States have been positive so far, the Iranian government spokesperson said on Sunday, adding that Tehran welcomes any initiative to lift sanctions.
Speaking to the state news agency IRNA, Fatemeh Mohajerani said of the second round of indirect talks held in Rome, "These negotiations are being held with Oman's mediation and in a constructive atmosphere".
Highlighting the importance of lifting sanctions which have crippled Iran's economy since 2018 when US President Donald Trump pulled out of the JCPOA nuclear agreement, she said, “In the continuation of the negotiation path, we will welcome any practical initiative aimed at lifting sanctions".
Since then, further sanctions have been levied on Iran from around the world for both its crackdown on protesters and human rights abuses at home, as well as Iran's support for Russia's war on Ukraine.
She confirmed that expert-level consultations would continue in the coming days, followed by higher-level talks in Muscat.
However, she also pointed to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's position of being neither optimistic nor pessimistic about the negotiations.
"We are neither extremely optimistic nor extremely pessimistic about these talks," Khamenei said last week, adding however that “we are very pessimistic about the other side, but we are optimistic about our own capabilities."
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday night that "optimism may be justified, but only with great caution."
"The second round of negotiations of talks were good and positive in a positive atmosphere."
He added that Iran had explained why the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) was no longer sufficient for many in Iran.
Iran's judiciary has announced legal action against the heads of two media outlets following their commentary on the ongoing nuclear negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the United States.
The judiciary's news agency Mizan reported on Saturday that "disrespectful remarks by the directors of two media outlets regarding the Iran-America negotiations led to charges being filed against them."
The agency did not initially name the individuals involved.
However, the Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars news agency later identified the two as Mostafa Faghihi, owner of the Entekhab News Website, and Sajjad Abedi, managing editor of Talkhand-e Siasi (Political Satire).
The move comes shortly after a commentary on Raja News, another outlet linked to the Revolutionary Guard, criticized what it described as a rise in "fake news, rumors, and false accusations" against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in both online spaces and some official media.
Raja News specifically accused Faghihi of labeling critics of the nuclear talks as "hardliners with clichéd and nauseating" rhetoric.
The outlet also said that Abedi had dismissed Khamenei's recent statement about not making the country's issues dependent on negotiations as "nonsense."
Abedi responded on the social media platform X, saying that his comment was directed at the hardliners' remarks, not Khamenei's.
Khamenei has shifted his stance on talks since February when he described negotiating with US President Donald Trump as "dishonorable" and "irrational," but less than two months later, he greenlit indirect talks with the US.
This is not the first instance of the Iranian judiciary taking action against media figures commenting on the nuclear issue.
Earlier this month, Mizan reported charges against Hesamoddin Ashena, a former head of the Strategic Studies Center under former president Rouhani's administration, for a social media post criticizing the Islamic Republic authorities regarding Iran's approach to negotiations with the US.
The reformist Shargh daily also offered a public apology after it published a report about the potential renewed role of Mohammad Javad Zarif in the US talks.
Additionally, the Press Supervisory Board issued a warning to the editor-in-chief of the hardline Kayhan daily, which is managed by Khamenei's representative, for threats of assassination against President Donald Trump for the 2020 killing of IRGC's Qasem Soleimani.
The Iranian government has been forced to engage in nuclear negotiations with the United States in its weakest possible state and out of a need for survival, according to Sedigheh Vasmaghi, a former political prisoner and religious scholar.
In a video published on a YouTube channel, Vasmaghi said, "The Islamic Republic has given in to negotiations with America in the worst possible conditions and for its own survival. This government has lost important opportunities so far and now, faced with the choice of negotiation or war, it has accepted negotiation."
Vasmaghi, a professor of jurisprudence and religious studies, did not elaborate on the specific opportunities she believed Iran had missed.
A prominent Iranian reformist politician, Mohammad Ali Abtahi, has cautioned that the more positive the trajectory of nuclear negotiations becomes, the higher the risk of what he called mine-laying by those seeking to undermine them.
In an interview with the semi-official ISNA, Abtahi said that the framework for discussions between Iran and the United States is set on Iran not pursuing nuclear weapons and the US lifting nuclear-related sanctions, a goal he believes is achievable.
"The framework of Iran's negotiations with America is completely clear, and I think we are moving very well towards the frameworks," Abtahi said.
Abtahi warned, however, that "the more positive the talks progress, the higher the probability of mine-laying by major mine-layers, at the head of which is Israel."
US President Donald Trump's primary motivation in nuclear negotiations with Iran is ensuring Israel's security rather than America's, a member of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council said.
Mohammad Sadr argued that Trump's concern over Iran potentially obtaining nuclear weapons stems from the perceived threat to Tel Aviv, not Washington.
Sadr stressed the importance of understanding Trump's personality traits – describing him as narcissistic and unpredictable – arguing they heavily influence US policy.
"We must expect zigzag positions, fluctuations in behavior, and contradictory policies," Sadr said, advising Iranian negotiators to proceed with calm and patience. "We have to prepare ourselves for negotiation ups and downs."
Sadr suggested a deal might be feasible if Trump's focus remains solely on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – a goal Iran officially denies pursuing.
"However, if he wants to bring Israel's demands to the negotiating table – including a complete halt to enrichment or [curbs on] Iran's regional presence – naturally we will not reach an agreement," Sadr added.
He added that the outcome hinges on whether Trump's "personal desire for an achievement overcomes Israeli pressure for its security interests."
