GENEVA:Araghchi, speaking to Iranian journalists in Geneva, said, referring to the atmosphere prevailing in this round of talks: “The talks made good progress compared to the previous round and a more constructive atmosphere prevailed in this meeting.”
The US and Iran have made initial diplomatic progress in their nuclear talks in Geneva. Both sides agreed on the most important “guiding principles” for further action on Tuesday, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced after the conclusion of the second round of negotiations. While this does not mean that a final agreement is imminent, the path toward one has been embarked upon, Araqchi told Iranian media.
There is still a lot of work left to do. On the US side, envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner took part in the talks mediated by the Sultanate of Oman at the Omani embassy in Geneva. Trump had previously said he would be indirectly involved in those talks. Araqchi described the atmosphere as constructive. However, according to him, a date for a third round of negotiations has not yet been set.
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Bussaidi, who is mediating between the two states, also spoke of a constructive atmosphere. However, there remains a lot to do, he wrote on X. “The parties have agreed on clear next steps before the next meeting.” He didn't get any more specific.
Insider: Iran wants to submit proposals within two weeks
According to an insider, Iran wants to present detailed proposals within the next two weeks to bridge the differences in the nuclear dispute with the USA. The Iranian delegation promised this at the talks in Geneva, said a US representative who did not want to be named, according to the Reuters news agency. Although progress has been made, there are still many details to be discussed. There is currently no Iranian statement available.
According to US Vice President JD Vance, the negotiations went well in some cases. At least it was positive that further meetings were agreed upon, Vance tells Fox News. However, the Iranians are not yet ready to accept some of President Donald Trump's “red lines.” Trump wants to find a solution that prevents Iranian nuclear weapons - be it diplomatically or through an “other option”. The USA has gathered forces in the region and has not ruled out military action.
Naval maneuvers of the Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz
The diplomatic progress stands in sharp contrast to the military situation in the Gulf region. Immediately at the start of the talks, Iranian state media reported that parts of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz would be closed for several hours for security reasons. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards held maneuvers in the bottleneck that is central to the global oil trade. Tehran has in the past threatened to block the strait to commercial shipping in the event of an attack. This would stop around a fifth of global oil shipments.
The USA, for its part, has sent a combat unit to the region to increase pressure on Tehran. The rhetorical fronts had also hardened: US President Donald Trump recently declared that a regime change in Iran might be the best thing that could happen. Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected this on Tuesday. Any attempt by the US to overthrow the government in Tehran will fail, state media quoted him as saying.
Iran calls for an end to sanctions
A senior Iranian government official made the success of the talks dependent on whether the US refrained from making unrealistic demands and was serious about lifting economic sanctions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had conveyed its ideas about the framework of an agreement.
The Iranian leadership is under massive pressure domestically. Since the US airstrikes in June and the economic crisis exacerbated by sanctions, there have been protests that were violently suppressed earlier this year, claiming thousands of lives. Meanwhile, Washington has increased its military presence in the region. According to two US government officials, the military is preparing for weeks of operations if Trump orders an attack.
Washington, Israel and the EU accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this, but has enriched uranium well beyond the level necessary for civilian use. After the attacks in June, Tehran said it had stopped enrichment.
Gulf states and Switzerland as neutral mediators
The new dialogue between Tehran and Washington is taking place under the mediation of Oman. His Foreign Minister Badr al-Bussaidi had already mediated talks last year. Switzerland is also valued by the Iranian government as a neutral mediator.
In 2015, Iran had already committed to restricting its nuclear program. In return, sanctions should be lifted. The Vienna nuclear deal, which was negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, was always a thorn in Trump's side. In 2018 – during his first term in office – he unilaterally terminated the agreement. At the same time, he imposed new and tougher sanctions against Iran. As a result, the Iranian leadership no longer adhered to the requirements.
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The Iranian Foreign Minister added that in this round of talks, various ideas and plans were raised and seriously examined by both sides. He noted: “Finally, we reached a general agreement on some guiding principles and from now on, the process of negotiations will proceed based on these principles.”
A new round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States began in Muscat on Friday (February 17), with a second round taking place in Geneva on Tuesday. Araghchi said the date for the next round of talks would be determined after the representatives of the two teams consulted with their capitals.
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