Photo credit: BBC
Iran and the United States wrapped up another round of indirect talks in Geneva Thursday, aimed at reaching a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and potentially averting another war as the US gathers a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East.
The Indian Express reports that US President Donald Trump wants a deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity as the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests.
Mediated by Oman, these talks represented a critical attempt to de-escalate tensions following a massive US military buildup in the Middle East and a renewed “maximum pressure” campaign by the Trump administration.
Indirect talks were held at the Omani diplomatic residence. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi shuttled between the delegates, led by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, citing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s long-standing religious decree against weapons of mass destruction.
Vice President JD Vance warned that while diplomacy is the preference, the US reserves the “right” to use military action, stating, “You can’t let the worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons.”
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi has joined the talks as a technical observer, a move experts say could be decisive in verifying Iranian commitments.
