The third round of talks in three weeks have raised hopes for an Iran nuclear accord, which could avert a new Mideast conflict. President Trump said he believed a deal was within reach.

The United States and Iran have begun a third round of nuclear talks, entering what experts describe as a more difficult phase of technical negotiations this weekend as Washington lays out its conditions.

MUSCAT, Oman —Iran and the United States held their first technical-level talks on Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program Saturday, a more complex phase of their high-stakes negotiations.