Iran, US task experts with framework for deal

ROME, April 20 (Reuters): Iran and the United States agreed on Saturday to begin drawing up a framework for a potential nuclear deal, Iran's foreign minister said, after talks that a US official described as yielding "very good progress."

US President Donald Trump, who abandoned a 2015 nuclear pact between Tehran and world powers during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it reaches a new deal swiftly that would prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

At their second indirect meeting in a week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi negotiated for four hours in Rome with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff through an Omani official who shuttled messages between them.

Speaking on state TV after the talks, Araqchi described the engagement as useful and conducted in a constructive atmosphere. "We were able to make some progress on a number of principles and goals, and ultimately reached a better understanding," Araqchi said.

"It was agreed that negotiations will continue and move into the next phase, in which expert-level meetings will begin on Wednesday in Oman. The experts will have the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement," he said.

The top negotiators would meet again in Oman next Saturday to "review the experts' work and assess how closely it aligns with the principles of a potential agreement," he added.

Echoing cautious comments last week from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he said: "We cannot say for certain that we are optimistic. We are acting very cautiously. There is no reason either to be overly pessimistic."

Iran, which calls its nuclear programme peaceful, says it is willing to discuss limited curbs to its atomic work in return for lifting international sanctions.