Rome. Talks between Iran and the United States over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program appeared ready Monday to leave the Middle East, as an Italian source said the next round of negotiations would take place in Rome.

Meanwhile, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog separately confirmed he would be taking a trip to Iran later in the week, possibly to discuss ways to improve access for his inspectors to Iran's program.

A source in the Italian government confirmed that the next round would take place in Rome on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

The person's comments came as Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani separately told journalists in Osaka, Japan, that the Italian government has given its OK to host the talks.

“We received the request from the interested parties, from Oman, which plays the role of mediator and we gave a positive response,” Tajani said. "We are ready to welcome, as always, meetings that can bring positive results, in this case on the nuclear issue.”

Both Iranian and US officials did not immediately acknowledge the venue of the second round of negotiations. However, it's likely that Oman, which hosted the first round of talks on Saturday in Muscat, would continue to mediate between the two sides.

“The next round of talks will probably be held somewhere other than Oman,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told journalists on Monday in Tehran. “It's not an important matter.”

IAEA Chief to Head to Iran Ahead of Talks
The talks will follow a visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iran later this week.

The IAEA played a key role in verifying Iran's compliance with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and has continued to work in the Islamic Republic, even as the country's theocracy slowly peeled away its access after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018.

“Continued engagement and cooperation with the Agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed,” Grossi wrote on X.

Grossi will arrive in Iran on Wednesday night and will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, the state-run IRNA news agency reported, quoting Kazem Gharibabadi, a deputy foreign minister.

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