As I prepared to take a photograph of an anti-American mural outside of the former U.S. Embassy in Iran’s capital recently, a passerby called out to me.

Iran and the United States concluded a fifth round of high-stakes nuclear talks in Rome on Friday amid growing skepticism in Tehran about the chances of a deal as Washington hardens its position.

The future of high-stakes negotiations over Iran's nuclear program remains shrouded in uncertainty as the U.S. and Iran publicly clash over the terms of an interim agreement proposed by the Trump administration that is intended to pave the way for a longer-lasting deal.