JERUSALEM — As President Donald Trump prepared to depart for the Middle East on Monday, the United States and Iran concluded a fourth series of discussions in Oman on Sunday, focusing on Iran’s controversial nuclear weapons program. 

Ahead of the negotiations, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed approval for chants of “Death to America” at a gathering in Tehran, stating, “Your judgment is right,” to his supporters advocating for the U.S.’s downfall.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, described the nuclear discussions as “challenging but beneficial.” Meanwhile, a U.S. official, who requested anonymity to comment on the private talks, shared that the negotiations included both direct and indirect interactions, according to The Associated Press.

An “agreement was reached to move forward with the talks to continue working through technical elements,” the U.S. official said. “We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future.”

President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The hot-button issue of uranium enrichment has plagued talks with Iran over the last few decades. The Europeans faced intense criticism when they agreed—independent of the U.S.—to allow the Islamic Republic to enrich uranium during the nascent phase of atomic talks during the early years of this century.

Brodsky said “The original sin of U.S. decision-making on Iran’s nuclear program was when the Obama administration changed the U.S. position from zero enrichment to tolerating enrichment at 3.67%. That laid the groundwork for Iran to retain the capability to continue to use its nuclear program to extort the United States and ultimately build a nuclear weapon.”

The nuclear expert noted, “That should end today, and recent comments from President Trump, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Secretary Rubio hopefully signal that this era is over. House and Senate Republicans were also very clear on this point over the last week. The Iranians say they want a durable deal. But a JCPOA 2.0—tolerating enrichment at 3.67% and no dismantlement of nuclear facilities—would not be one.

“The Iranians are engaged in all kinds of gimmicks to dress up a variation of the same concessions they offered to President Obama. That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.”

An Iranian military truck carries surface-to-air missiles past a portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a parade on the occasion of the country’s annual army day on April 18, 2018 in Tehran, Iran. (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

The anti-American news outlet, Kayhan, that serves as the mouthpiece for Khamenei, published a full-page screed against Trump where it stated, “He is a framework based on narcissism, superiority delusions, and threat-based tactics.”

The talks on Sunday ran for some three hours in Muscat, the capital of Oman. Iran’s regime spokesperson, Baghaei, said that a decision on the next round of talks is under discussion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.