Arabic version: إيران والولايات المتحدة تستعدان لمحادثات نووية مع تصاعد العقوبات
Iran and the United States are set to begin a third round of indirect negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme in Switzerland, with both sides maintaining their preference for a diplomatic solution despite high tensions. According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Wednesday and met his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, who is facilitating the indirect talks scheduled for Thursday.
Before his departure, Araghchi said a “fair, balanced and equitable deal” was within reach, while reiterating that Iran was not seeking an atomic weapon and was not ready to give up its “right to peaceful use of nuclear technology”. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of attempting to rebuild its nuclear programme and said Tehran should take Washington’s threats of military action seriously.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against more than 30 individuals, entities and vessels it said had helped finance Iran’s oil sales, ballistic missile programme and weapons production. In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump accused Iran of harbouring “sinister nuclear ambitions” and developing missiles capable of striking the U.S. – claims that Iranian officials flatly rejected.
The upcoming talks aim to address not only Iran’s nuclear programme but also concerns regarding its ballistic missile development. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that Iran’s insistence on excluding missile discussions was “a big, big problem”. Previous rounds of negotiations have resulted in a tentative understanding of guiding principles, although no substantive agreements have been reached yet.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, emphasized the importance of mutual respect in diplomacy, warning that any deceptive tactics would provoke a strong response from Iran. The talks occur against a backdrop of heightened U.S. military presence in the region, with warnings from Tehran about potential retaliation if military action is taken against it.
