The second round of indirect US-Iran talks on Iran's nuclear programme have concluded in Rome with a "positive" outcome, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.
Further negotiations will take place on Saturday, April 26, he confirmed, with technical experts set to meet before that.
Mr Araghchi met US envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff briefly during the first round of negotiations in Oman on April 12, although the main bulk of discussions were held through a mediator.
It is believed Saturday's talks took place under a similar arrangement, with both sides in separate rooms. The US did not immediately comment after the discussions ended at the Omani Embassy in Rome's Camilluccia neighbourhood.
"The second round of negotiations of talks were good and positive in a positive atmosphere," Mr Araghchi told Iranian state outlet PressTV, adding that the two sides agreed on the "principles and goals" of the agreement.
Based on that, a decision was reached for technical experts to hold indirect talks on Wednesday, he said.
Mr Araghchi said it should become clearer whether reaching an agreement is possible after the experts meet.
The third official round of negotiations will take place the following Saturday in Oman, the country's foreign ministry confirmed.
The next phase of discussions aims to ensure Iran is "completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions", while "maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy", the ministry said in a statement.
Mr Araghchi told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the US had so far not raised topics that are outside Iran's scope of negotiation, a reference to Tehran's insistence that it will negotiate only on issues pertaining to its nuclear programme.
Iran wants a nuclear deal with the US to include provisions to contain Israel and facilitate investment, a senior adviser to Iranian supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday.
In statements posted in multiple languages on X, including English and Hebrew, Ali Shamkhani said Mr Khamenei had given negotiators "full discretion" to pursue a deal based on nine principles.
The principles are seriousness, assurance, balance, the removal of sanctions, the avoidance of threats, speed, "the containment of nuisances (such as Israel)" and the facilitation of investment, he said, as well as the rejection of the so-called Libyan model, referring to Libya's surrender of its nuclear capabilities in 2003.
“Iran is there for a balanced agreement, not to surrender,” Mr Shamkhani said.
Oman's mediation of the current talks is a reprisal of its role in initiating the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers. Omani state media announced on Saturday that Sultan Haitham would be travelling to Russia on Monday, days after Mr Araghchi visited Moscow.
The Iranian Foreign Minister held talks in the Russian capital on Friday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who said Moscow would be willing to play a role in the current negotiations.
The steady progress in the negotiations is taking place against the backdrop of threats by US President Donald Trump, who gave Iran two months to reach an agreement or risk military action.
With Iran's previous nuclear deal with world powers, the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, set to expire in October, the pressure is on Tehran to reach a new agreement on curtailing its nuclear programme before sanctions are reimposed, or Mr Trump makes good on his threats.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
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As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
