Oman's Foreign Minister announced the postponement of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for May 3 due to logistical reasons. The talks aim to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions. Iran accused the US of contradictory behavior after new sanctions and warnings regarding support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The US expects the talks to happen soon.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, whose country is mediating talks between Iran and the United States regarding Iran's nuclear program, announced on Thursday that the latest round of discussions scheduled for this week has been postponed to a later date "for logistical reasons."

Albusaidi shared the news on the social platform X, explaining, "For logistical reasons, we are rescheduling the US-Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday, May 3rd." He also mentioned that new dates for the talks would be announced once mutually agreed upon.

The talks, initially set to take place in Rome, were planned ahead of the Vatican’s upcoming conclave to elect a new pope, following the death of Pope Francis on Wednesday.

These talks are part of ongoing efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the easing of some of the economic sanctions imposed on Tehran by the United States.

The negotiations have been led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facilities if a deal is not reached.

In response to the announcement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei issued a statement describing the postponement as being at the request of Oman’s foreign minister. He affirmed that Iran remains committed to reaching “a fair and lasting agreement.”

A US source familiar with the talks later told AP and Reuters that the United States had "never confirmed its participation" in a fourth round of talks in Rome. However, the source noted that the US expects the talks to occur "in the near future."

On the same day, Iran accused the United States of “contradictory behavior and provocative statements,” especially after Washington imposed new oil-related sanctions and warned Tehran of consequences for supporting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The US sanctions targeted entities involved in trading Iranian oil and petrochemicals.

Additionally, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a warning to Iran about potential repercussions for supporting the Houthis. The rebel group began targeting ships near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in late 2023 in retaliation for Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza.