Fifth round of Iran-U.S. talks conclude in Rome

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Fifth round of Iran-U.S. talks conclude in Rome

2025-05-24 02:43 Last Updated At：16:27

The fifth round of negotiations between Iran and the United States concluded on Friday in Rome, with limited but inconclusive progress, according to the Omani mediator facilitating the talks.

The discussions, held at the Omani Embassy in Italy, lasted over three hours and were led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Oman played the role of indirect mediator throughout the negotiations.

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi stated that the fifth round of Iran-U.S. talks "concluded today in Rome with some but not conclusive progress."

He added that the remaining issues are expected to be clarified in the coming days, to allow the parties concerned to proceed toward the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honorable agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that the fifth round of Iran-U.S. talks was the most professional round of negotiations to date.

Different ideas were discussed in the fifth round, and it was decided that the two sides further review the ideas and make the arrangements for the next round, which will hopefully "enter details to some extent" if both sides accept new solutions, he said.

The indirect talks will not conclude in two or three rounds due to their complexity, said the foreign minister, adding that "the fact that we are now treading along a reasonable path is (a kind of) progress."

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on the social media platform X that the fifth round was held in a "calm and professional" atmosphere, and the date and venue of the next round will be decided and announced later.

Previously, Iran and the United States held four rounds of Oman-mediated indirect talks starting from April on Tehran's nuclear program and the lifting of U.S. sanctions, three of which in Oman's Muscat and one in Rome.

In recent days, U.S. officials have repeatedly demanded that Iran completely cease uranium enrichment, a request firmly rejected by Tehran.

Over one-third of Americans rack up holiday debt: survey

As much as 37 percent of Americans saw their debt increase during this year's holiday shopping season, with average debt rising to 1,223 U.S. dollars from 1,181 dollars last year, according to the latest holiday debt survey of LendingTree, the nation's online loan marketplace.

The survey, conducted earlier this month among more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, found that rising tariffs and higher prices have put additional pressure on household budgets.

In a statement, LendingTree's chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said the strain becomes more pronounced during the holiday season, as many consumers are reluctant to change long-standing shopping traditions, even as costs rise, leading to higher debt levels.

According to the survey, 63 percent of borrowers expect it will take three months or longer to repay their holiday-related debt, while about 41 percent said they are still paying off debt from last year. Schulz warned that if borrowers need six months to a year or more to repay their balances, the situation becomes more serious due to high credit card interest rates.

Data from Bankrate show that the average U.S. credit card interest rate currently exceeds 20 percent.

Meanwhile, U.S. consumers have grown increasingly pessimistic about their financial situation. Data released on Tuesday by The Conference Board showed that the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index fell for the fifth consecutive month in December, dropping to 89.1, the lowest level since April, amid deepening anxiety over jobs and income.