US-Iran talks over Tehran's nuclear program conclude: "Now we understand each other better..."

New talks between Iranian and US negotiators to resolve disputes over Tehran's nuclear program ended in Oman on Monday, with further talks planned, officials said, as Tehran insisted publicly on continuing uranium enrichment, Reuters reported.

Although both Tehran and Washington have said they prefer diplomacy in resolving the decades-old nuclear dispute, they remain deeply divided over several red lines that negotiators will have to skirt to reach a new nuclear deal and prevent future military action.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, held a fourth round of talks in Muscat through Omani mediators, despite Washington taking a tough public stance that Iranian officials said would not help the talks, Reuters reported.

Araqchi said the talks were "more serious and direct compared to the previous three rounds."

"We now understand each other better and hope to move forward... Iran's uranium enrichment must continue, although its scope and level may change," Araqchi told state television.

A senior Trump administration official said Sunday's "direct and indirect" discussions lasted more than three hours.

"We are encouraged by today's outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will take place in the near future," the official said.

Witkoff told Breitbart News on Thursday that Washington's red line is: "No enrichment. That means dismantlement, no weapons," demanding the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a post on the social media platform X that the Iranian-American negotiations included "useful and original" ideas that reflect a shared desire to reach an "honorable" agreement.

The next round of talks will be held when both sides consult with their leaderships, he said.