Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif smiles during a meeting with students on a climate change forum at the Gabriel Ren Moreno Autonomous University, in Santa Cruz Bolivia, on July 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)2025-04-16T09:28:30Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iranian state television confirmed on Wednesday that the second round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks will be held in Rome after earlier confusion over where the negotiations would be held.The talks will be mediated by Oman, as they were last weekend in the sultanates capital of Muscat, the state TV report said.On Monday, multiple officials said they would be held in Rome. However, Irans Foreign Ministrys spokesperson said early Tuesday theyd be held in Oman.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran s president formally approved the resignation of one of his vice presidents who served as Tehrans key negotiator in its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, just as the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog was due to arrive in the Islamic Republic on Wednesday. President Masoud Pezeshkians announcement late Tuesday regarding Mohammad Javad Zarif comes as Iran prepares for a second round of negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Meanwhile, the visit by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, scheduled to start Wednesday may include negotiations over just what access his inspectors can get under any proposed deal. The stakes of the negotiations couldnt be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Irans nuclear program if a deal isnt reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Pezeshkian praises Zarif while acknowledging his resignationZarif served as a key supporter of Pezeshkian in his election last year but drew criticism from hard-liners within Irans Shiite theocracy, who long have alleged Zarif gave away too much in negotiations. In March, Zarif tendered his resignation to Pezeshkian. However, the president did not immediately respond to the letter. Zarif has used resignation announcements in the past in his political career as leverage, including in a dispute last year over the composition of Pezeshkians Cabinet. The president had rejected that resignation.But on late Tuesday, a statement from the presidency said Pezeshkian wrote Zarif a letter praising him but accepting his resignation.Pezeshkian emphasized that due to certain issues, his administration can no longer benefit from Zarifs valuable knowledge and expertise, a statement from the presidency said. The president in a decree appointed Mohsen Ismaili, 59, to be his new vice president for strategic affairs. In Irans political system, the president has multiple vice presidents. Ismaili is known as a political moderate and a legal expert. Grossi visit comes as Iran has restricted IAEA accessGrossi meanwhile was due to arrive in Tehran and have meetings with Pezeshkian and others. Since the nuclear deals collapse in 2018 with Trumps unilateral withdraw of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity near weapons-grade levels of 90%.Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agencys most experienced inspectors. Iranian officials also have increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons, something the West and the IAEA have been worried about for years since Tehran abandoned an organized weapons program in 2003.Any possible deal between Iran and the U.S. likely would need to rely on the IAEAs expertise to ensure Tehrans compliance. And despite tensions between Iran and the agency, its access has not been entirely revoked. Irans foreign minister questions contradictory responses from US envoyIt remains unclear where the next round of talks will be held, though they are scheduled for Saturday. Officials initially identified Rome as hosting the negotiations, only for Iran to insist early Tuesday they would return to Oman. American officials so far havent said where the talks will be held, though Trump did call Omans Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Tuesday while the ruler was on a trip to the Netherlands.Meanwhile, Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday warned the U.S. about taking contradictory stances in the talks. That likely refers to comments from U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, who this week initially suggested a deal could see Iran go back to 3.67% uranium enrichment like in the 2015 deal reached by the Obama administration. Witkoff then followed up with saying a deal with Iran will only be completed if it is a Trump deal.Iran must stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program, he wrote on the social platform X. It is imperative for the world that we create a tough, fair deal that will endure, and that is what President Trump has asked me to do. Araghchi warned America about taking any contradictory and opposing stances in the talks.Enrichment is a real and accepted issue, and we are ready for trust building about possible concerns, Araghchi said. But losing the right to enrich at all is not negotiable.___Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto NASSER KARIMI Karimi reports and writes from Tehran, Iran, on various topics for The Associated Press. He began working for AP in 2003. twitter instagram mailto