Nuclear Talks – Iran Announces Withdrawal from Sixth Round

Iranian state television announced on Friday that Tehran has withdrawn from the sixth round of nuclear talks with the United States, which was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat.

Earlier in the day, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, stated: “The sixth round of negotiations with the U.S. will not be held due to the Israeli attacks.”

The announcement comes following a large-scale Israeli airstrike targeting sensitive sites inside Iran, including nuclear facilities, military bases, and top-level commanders.

Negotiation Background

Since April, Tehran and Washington, who have had no diplomatic relations for over four decades, have held five rounds of indirect talks mediated by the Sultanate of Oman.

The United States and Western powers aim to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons—an ambition Iran strongly denies—while demanding the lifting of crippling economic sanctions.

A key point of contention remains Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities. The U.S. insists that Tehran must halt enrichment, while Iran maintains it as an inalienable right, protected under the Non-Proliferation Treaty it has signed.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is currently the only non-nuclear-armed country enriching uranium to 60%, far above the 3.67% cap set by the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The five previous negotiation rounds marked the highest level of contact between the two nations since former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal in his first term, reimposing strict sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

After the fifth round, held on May 31, Iran stated it had received “elements” of a U.S. proposal aimed at reaching a new agreement, but criticized it as being “full of ambiguities.”

On Monday, Iran said it would soon submit its own proposal to the U.S. in response.