NEGOTIATIONS between the United States and Iran on the latter’s nuclear programme were “very productive and constructive,” the White House said at the weekend.

Further talks are scheduled for next weekend. Iranian TV reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly” spoke directly to US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, the first face-to-face conversation between US and Iranian officials since the Barack Obama presidency. The talks took place in Oman.

Mr Trump has threatened war on Iran if it does not abandon its nuclear programme. Though Iran says it enriches uranium only for civilian energy purposes, it has been enriching it to 60 per cent, close to the purity level needed for a nuclear weapon. Its regional adversary Israel already has nuclear weapons.