RFERL:

By Kian Sharifi

Diplomacy between the United States and Iran over the future of Tehran's nuclear program has hit a new snag -- not over uranium enrichment or sanctions, but over the simple matter of when to meet.

As US President Donald Trump insists the next round of talks is set for June 12, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei maintains that negotiations will resume on June 15 in Muscat. Oman, which is mediating the talks, has not weighed in.

The scheduling dispute comes as Iran's chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, is slated to be in Norway on June 12 for the Oslo Forum, making a session that day with the US unlikely, but not impossible. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi will also be in Oslo, so if White House envoy and nuclear negotiator Steve Witkoff travels to Norway, a meeting could take place.

Despite the calendar confusion, the stakes are clear: The sixth round of talks is shaping up to be a defining moment. Iran has formally rejected Washington's proposal for a deal, calling it "unacceptable" and lacking in key areas, especially the removal of economic sanctions and recognition of Iran's right to enrich uranium on its own soil.

Iran's Counterproposal On Enrichment

Tehran says it will soon submit a counterproposal via Oman, a plan it describes as "reasonable, logical, and balanced" and which it urges Washington to take seriously.

While Iran has kept the details of its counteroffer under wraps, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi says it's not a lengthy document but a "rational" proposal that "can't be dismissed with a simple 'no.'"

He describes it as a solid and acceptable basis for further discussion.

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