MUSCAT/TEHRAN: Iran and the United States wrapped up nuclear talks in Oman on Sunday with no apparent breakthrough in a public standoff over enrichment, but with both sides confirming plans for future negotiations.

This was the fourth round of talks that began nearly a month ago, marking the highest-level contact between the two foes since Washington withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, during President Donald Trump`s first term.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday described as `unacceptable`, calls by US officials for Iran to dismantle its nuclear facilities.

`The discussion that has been raised about dismantling Iran`s entire nuclear facilities is unacceptable to us,` he said, adding that `Iran will not give up its peaceful nuclear rights`.

Earlier, both sides had reported progress in the previous three rounds, and on Sunday Iran said the meeting was `difficult but useful`while a senior US official said Washington was `encouraged`.

The official said Washington was `encouraged by today`s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future`, without specifying when.

In a post on X, Iran`s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Bagaei said that the `next round will be coordinated and announced by Oman`, which in turn said `the talks will take place once both parties... consult their leaderships`.

According to the US official, the talks were `both direct and indirect, and lasted over three hours`.

`Agreement was reached to move forward` and `continue working through technical elements`, the official added.

Bagaei had earlier said negotiators would push for relief from US sanctions. Iran entered the talks saying that its right to maintain uranium enrichment was `non-negotiable`, while Washington`s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff has called it a `red line`.-AFP