Iran and the US will hold a new round of negotiations in Geneva on February 26 to resolve the decades-long nuclear dispute and prevent the risk of new attacks from Washington after the US increased its large-scale military presence in the Middle East.
The two countries resumed negotiations with the expectation of breaking the deadlock surrounding Tehran's nuclear program. Washington, some Western countries and Israel believe that this program aims to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran denies accusations and affirms its peaceful purpose.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner - son-in-law of US President Donald Trump - will attend the indirect talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. A US official said that the exchanges followed discussions in Geneva last week and were mediated by Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.
In his State of the Union address to Congress, Mr. Trump mentioned the possibility of attacking Iran, but emphasized prioritizing diplomatic solutions and affirmed that he would not allow Tehran to possess nuclear weapons.
US Vice President J.D. Vance reaffirmed this stance in an interview with the media, saying that the ultimate military goal is to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons if that is the path that Mr. Trump chooses.
The US has deployed large military forces in the Middle East, raising concerns about the risk of wider regional conflict. In June last year, the US coordinated with Israel to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. Tehran warned it would respond strongly if it continued to be attacked.
On February 19, Mr. Trump declared that Iran must reach an agreement within 10-15 days, warning that otherwise "very bad things" would happen.
On Tehran's side, Mr. Araqchi said that Iran is aiming for a fair and rapid agreement, but reaffirmed that it does not give up the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Washington considers uranium enrichment activities in Iran as a potential path to nuclear weapons.
The agreement is within reach if diplomacy is prioritized," Mr. Araqchi wrote on social network X.
According to Reuters, Tehran proposed new concessions in exchange for lifting sanctions and recognizing the right to enrich uranium, in order to avoid the risk of being attacked by the US. However, a senior Iranian official said that the two sides still have deep differences, including in the scope and order of easing severe US sanctions.
Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi is also expected to be present in Geneva during the negotiations to discuss with both sides, similar to last week.
Negotiations in Geneva are seen as an important test for diplomatic efforts to prevent military escalation, while the two sides remain firm on core issues of the nuclear dossier.
