U.S. says "further progress was made" in third round of nuclear talks with Iran

• "The talks in Muscat were positive and productive. There is still much to do, but further progress was made on getting to a deal," a senior U.S. official said in a statement sent to reporters.
• President Trump said in an interview with Time magazine published on Friday that he thinks "we can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can." Asked if he's open to meeting Iranian leaders he said: "Sure."

Driving the news: The talks on Saturday took place between working-level teams from both sides and between the chief negotiators White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

• The senior U.S. official said the third round of talks lasted over four hours and included direct and indirect engagement between the U.S. and Iranian teams.
• The official said the next round of talks will take place in Europe next week.

What they are saying: "U.S-Iran talks today identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments. Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed," the Omani foreign minister said.

• Araghchi said in a briefing with his traveling press that he is satisfied with the progress and pace of the negotiations and stressed both sides are serious.
• "This round of talks was much more serious than in the past, and we gradually moved into more detailed and technical discussions," he added.
• He said the parties exchanged written position several times during the talks.
• "Some differences are serious, some less so. I'm hopeful about reaching a deal, but yet cautious," Araghchi added.

What to watch: Witkoff traveled from Muscat to Abu Dhabi for talks with Emirati officials ahead of a President Trump's visit to the UAE in mid-May.