US, Iran Resume Indirect Nuclear Talks in Geneva
News Desk/Agencies
Geneva: The United States and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Geneva on Tuesday aimed at resolving their long-standing nuclear dispute, as tensions remain high and Washington reinforces its military presence in the region.
The negotiations are being mediated by Oman and will involve US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, according to a source briefed on the matter.
US President Donald Trump said he would be involved “indirectly” in the talks and expressed optimism that Tehran was seeking an agreement. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, Trump suggested Iran wished to avoid the consequences of failing to reach a deal, referencing previous US deployment of B-2 bombers against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Tehran is acutely aware that a prior effort to revive diplomacy in June last year coincided with Israeli airstrikes on Iran, later joined by US B-2 bombers targeting nuclear sites. Following those strikes, Iran said it had halted uranium enrichment activities.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/oil-tumbles-on-iran-hopes-precious-metals-hit-by-stronger-dollar/
However, two US officials told Reuters that the US military is preparing for the possibility of extended operations against Iran should Trump order military action.
In a parallel development, Iran began military drills on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. Gulf Arab states have called for diplomacy to prevent further escalation.
Washington and Tehran resumed negotiations on February 6 over their decades-old nuclear standoff. The US and Israel contend that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Nonetheless, Iran has enriched uranium to levels significantly above those required for civilian energy production and closer to weapons-grade purity.
Iran’s leadership has also faced domestic challenges following widespread protests over economic hardship, worsened by international sanctions that have sharply reduced oil revenues.
Unlike previous rounds of diplomacy, the US has deployed what Trump described as a “massive” naval armada in the region.
Read More: https://thepenpk.com/trump-signals-pressure-on-iran-as-us-armada-deploys/
Washington has sought to broaden the scope of discussions to include Iran’s missile programme and other non-nuclear issues. Tehran has maintained it will only negotiate limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief and has ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment entirely or discussing its missile capabilities.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reaching a deal would be difficult but emphasized that Washington remained willing to pursue diplomacy.
Ahead of the Geneva talks, Araqchi met with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to discuss cooperation and technical aspects of the upcoming negotiations.
Later on Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner are also expected to participate in separate three-way talks involving Russia and Ukraine, as the United States continues efforts to broker an end to Moscow’s four-year war in Ukraine.
