President Donald Trump is expected to extend the timeline he initially set for negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, according to sources in Jerusalem ahead of the fourth round of talks scheduled for Saturday between the two sides.
Originally, Trump had stipulated that efforts to reach an agreement would last two months. However, a senior political source said this timeframe is likely to be extended, though not by much, according to updates Israel has received.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to receive full briefings on the negotiations being conducted by senior US envoy Steve Wictor with Iranian representatives. Minister Ron Dermer, who holds the Iran portfolio in the Israeli government and receives updates from Washington, said last night he is "confident that President Trump will not agree to a bad deal."
The third round of talks between the US and Iran took place on Saturday in Muscat, the capital of Oman. This time, the discussions were held in a slightly different format: alongside the political-level negotiations led by Wictor and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, technical discussions were held focusing on monitoring issues and other aspects related to the potential implementation of a nuclear agreement.
According to reports, the negotiations between Araghchi and Wictor lasted about six hours and were conducted through Omani mediators. The session took place one week after the second round in Rome, which both sides had described as constructive. The Wall Street Journal reported that "significant disagreements" still remain, but the parties have committed to continued dialogue.
