On Feb. 26, the U.S. and Iran began their nuclear deal negotiations in Geneva, which could determine whether Washington and Tehran go to war or establish an agreement.
Badr Albusaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister and mediator, expressed that both parties have exchanged “creative and positive ideas,” assuring that negotiations will continue after a short recess. “We hope to make more progress,” he shared on social media.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, who is leading Tehran’s negotiation team, and U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to discuss the deal with Oman mediating the talks.
The negotiation in Geneva is the third round of meetings since efforts to resume talks began in February, following President Donald Trump’s threat to involve military force amid widespread protests against the Iranian government, which began in January.
Iran’s aims in the negotiations are to convince the U.S. that it has no intention of weaponizing its nuclear program, with the U.S. having to incentivize the Islamic Republic with advantages, such as lifting economic sanctions on the nation’s international banking and oil sales and refraining from going to war.
Iranian officials have also announced in public statements that they will commit to buying American goods, while also permitting American companies to invest in Tehran’s energy, oil, and gas sectors, and granting access to their mines. During earlier negotiations, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, initially banned American companies from entering Iran in the first deal but has since eased restrictions, according to Iranian officials.
As the recent negotiations in Geneva approached, Iranian officials pushed back against claims made by President Trump during his State of the Union address on Feb. 24.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused the Trump administration, including the president, of performing a “disinformation & misinformation campaign” against Tehran, after President Trump stated that the Islamic Republic was developing missiles that threaten Europe and U.S. bases overseas.
