Senior officials of the United States and Iran have commented positively on their latest round of talks over Iran's nuclear program, signaling possible progress toward an agreement.



The third round of the bilateral high-level talks took place on Saturday in the Middle Eastern country of Oman.



US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led their respective delegations. Working-level representatives participated for the first time to discuss more specific content of an agreement that both sides should seek.



The US seeks to limit Iran's nuclear program. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful use and is demanding that the US lift sanctions.



After the meeting, a US official said the third round talks were "positive and productive," noting that they lasted over four hours. The official said, "There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal," and added that the two sides agreed to meet again soon in Europe.



Araghchi said, "It does not mean that the differences have been resolved, there are differences in both major and minor issues." But he added: "There is seriousness on both sides and we can hope for progress," and "We are gradually moving from generalities to detailed and specialized discussions." He noted that the next round will probably begin on Saturday next week.



Observers say making progress in the upcoming detailed negotiation may not be easy considering the big differences remaining between the two sides.