US wants Iran to negotiate over its missiles in nuclear talks - Reuters

The ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran are not limited to Tehran’s disputed nuclear program but also include its missile program, Reuters reported on Friday, citing an Iranian official with knowledge of the talks.

Following a second round of talks in Rome on April 19, Iranian negotiators were "persuaded that the US had accepted Tehran's position that it would not entirely end its enrichment program or surrender all the uranium it has enriched already."

However, the official was quoted as saying that Iran's missile program remained a big sticking point.

"The only remaining point of disagreement in the general discussions and mutual understanding is the missile issue," the report said citing the Iranian official.

The Islamic Republic insists that its missile program is a non-negotiable element of its defense strategy. The Trump administration has also refrained from mentioning Iran's missile program, emphasizing that the focus of its ongoing talks with Tehran is solely to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Iran's chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Muscat and his American counterpart Steve Witkoff has also departed Russia for Oman to attend the third round of talks with Tehran slated for Saturday.