A second round of negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program ended Saturday after several hours of talks, Iranian state television reported. There was no immediate readout on how the talks went at the Omani Embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighborhood.

A U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal would reverse Riyadh’s drift toward China, undercutting Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and its growing influence in the Middle East.

U.S. officials made “very good” progress during the second round of nuclear talks with Iran in Rome and plan to meet with their Tehran’s counterparts next week.  Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas