US to blame if nuclear talks fail, former chief negotiator Zarif says

Faridi, a 22-year-old student from the northwestern city of Tabriz, was studying manufacturing engineering at the University of Tabriz when he was first arrested by Iran’s Law Enforcement Intelligence Organization in March 2024.

He was released on bail after nearly a month in detention, only to be re-arrested in June that year after appearing before Branch 15 of the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office, which handles so-called national security cases.

His death sentence was handed down in February 2025 by Judge Ali Sheykhlou of Branch 3 of the Tabriz Revolutionary Court, a figure known for issuing harsh rulings against dissidents.

The verdict was based on reports from the police intelligence unit and an indictment issued by a prosecutor who was later sacked for corruption. The ruling was delivered despite objections raised by Faridi and his lawyer, and without what sources describe as sufficient evidence.

Corrupt prosecutor

Faridi's indictment had been issued by Ali Mousavi Aghdam, a former prosecutor for Branch 15 of the Tabriz Prosecutor’s Office.

Aghdam was arrested in November 2024 — less than three months after filing the charges — for forming a corruption ring within the judiciary, accepting bribes, forging documents, and fabricating cases. He was later convicted and dismissed from the judiciary.

Faridi's case is currently under review by Iran’s Supreme Court. According to a source familiar with the proceedings, the lack of credible evidence in the file and the court's past record of overturning similar sentences issued by Judge Sheykhlou has given Faridi’s family hope that the ruling will be annulled.

Faridi had already been sentenced to six months in prison on a separate charge of “propaganda against the Islamic Republic,” prior to the death penalty case.

The revelation comes amid a surge in executions in Iran, particularly targeting political prisoners. Human rights groups reported that at least 230 people — including 8 women — were executed across Iranian prisons in the first three months of 2025, more than double the number from the same period the previous year.

As of early May, human rights monitors estimate that around 60 individuals facing political or security-related charges are currently on death row in Iran.

Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday that Tehran and Washington had made good progress on disputed issues during the fourth round of talks in Muscat, but reiterated Iran’s opposition to the US demand that it dismantle its uranium enrichment program.

“Uranium enrichment is not subject to compromise. While the scale and level of enrichment may be limited for confidence-building, the principle of enrichment is non-negotiable,” Abbas Araghchi told the state TV.

"The Americans’ contradictory public statements do not help the negotiations, and today in the talks we said it clearly that this approach must be corrected. It was emphasized that contradictory media portrayals harm the talks. If such contradictions continue, we will be forced to respond in kind."

He also said that "sanctions relief remains one of the foundations of our negotiation under any circumstances."

Araghchi described the fourth round of talks with the United States as "more serious and franker" than the previous rounds. He said the two sides "have come much closer on the disputed issues and understand each other better, and I hope we will make further progress moving forward."

"We moved away from general frameworks and entered more specific issues, which made the negotiations more difficult," Araghchi told the state TV.

"Despite the difficulty and frankness of the negotiations, useful discussions took place."

Araghchi said, "There is now greater understanding, and positions have come closer."

He said the talks can be described as moving forward, and both sides are determined.

"An agreement was reached to hold another meeting, but arranging the next round has been left to the Foreign Minister of Oman."

He said the next round of talks will probably be held in a week.

"The Iranian armed forces are fully prepared for any situation," said Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Islamic Republic's Armed Forces, during a trip to Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

"We are ready to defend national interests and the Persian Gulf," he added.

He said his visit to the Persian Gulf region, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman "aims to assess the operational status of the area and the level of readiness of Iran’s armed forces—particularly the strategic naval forces of the Army and the IRGC—in defending our territorial and international waters and national resources."

Washington and Tehran have agreed to move forward with nuclear negotiations, focusing on technical issues in the next phase, said a senior US administration official after the fourth round of the talks.

“Agreement was reached to move forward with the talks with Iran to continue working through technical elements.”

US envoy Steve Witkoff held both direct and indirect discussions with Iranian representatives on Sunday in Muscat, Oman, the senior administration official said.

Iran’s foreign ministry said the fourth round of negotiations with the United States was “difficult but useful” in clarifying mutual positions.

“The fourth round of indirect Iran-US negotiations is concluded; difficult but useful talks to better understand each other's positions and to find reasonable and realistic ways to address the differences,” spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

He added that the timing of the next round would be coordinated and announced by Oman.