“They have to walk away from helping Yemen, they have to walk away from building long-range missiles that have no purpose to exist other than having nuclear weapons, and they have to walk away from enrichment,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in an interview with Fox News on Thursday as a round of nuclear talks was postponed.

Rubio’s comments underscore the major remaining divisions in talks between the countries to resolve the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iran if there is no agreement.

On Thursday a senior Iranian official told Reuters that the scheduled fourth round of talks due to take place in Rome on Saturday had been postponed and that a new date would be set “depending on the US approach”.

Rubio’s comments underscore the major remaining divisions in talks between the countries to resolve the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iran if there is no agreement.

On Friday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that more than ever, Iran is determined to reach a fair and balanced agreement.

“We, together with the Omani and American sides, decided to postpone the fourth round of negotiations for logistical and technical reasons,” Araqchi wrote on his X account on Thursday.

He said that on the Iranian side, there has been no change in “our determination” to reach a negotiated solution.

“Indeed, we are more determined than ever to reach a fair and balanced agreement: one that ensures the end of sanctions and builds confidence that Iran’s nuclear program will remain peaceful forever, while ensuring that Iran’s rights are fully respected,” Araqchi added.

Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei announced the change in the date of the next round of indirect Iran-U.S. talks, which was scheduled to be held in Rome on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Referring to the announcement of this issue by the Omani Foreign Minister, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the postponement of the talks was based on the proposal of the Omani foreign minister, and that information about the next possible date will be provided later.

Baqaei reiterated the determination by Iran to use diplomacy to secure the legitimate and legal interests of the Iranian nation and end the sanctions and economic pressure that target the human rights and welfare of every Iranian.

RHM/