While yesterday indicated Rome would host the second round of negotiations, by morning Al-Alam confirmed Muscat would again serve as venue. The day's pivotal moment came when Supreme Leader Khamenei issued his first public response to the nuclear talks, describing them as "neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic" while warning officials not to "tie domestic issues to negotiations" – a direct reference to mistakes made during JCPOA implementation.
US representative Witkoff's position hardened through the day, culminating in a BBC Persian report that the US expects Iran to "completely abandon uranium enrichment." The IRGC immediately countered that Iran's military capabilities remain "non-negotiable." Meanwhile, Iranian officials consistently framed the first round as successful for Iran.
By afternoon, BBC Persian exclusively released a second Montazeri audio file from 1988, where he reportedly described Velayat-e Faqih as having become "repulsive" while criticizing political prisoner executions.