Iran and the United States will hold a second round of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme in Geneva next week, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Saturday. The discussions will be hosted by Oman, which also facilitated the first indirect meeting on February 6. The ministry did not specify exact dates.
The development comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington still prefers a diplomatic solution and that President Donald Trump would be willing to meet Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei if the opportunity arose. Speaking to Bloomberg, Rubio said Trump views direct engagement as a practical way to resolve disputes and should not be seen as a concession.
However, after the initial round, Trump warned Tehran that failure to reach an agreement with his administration could have “very traumatic” consequences. Washington has repeatedly threatened military action if Iran refuses limits on its nuclear activities, while Tehran says it would retaliate against any attack.
Trump also said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was being deployed from the Caribbean to the Middle East as part of a broader military buildup, adding that a change in Iran’s leadership “would be the best thing that could happen.”
Sticking points remain
The Trump administration insists any deal must prohibit uranium enrichment, a demand Iran rejects, maintaining its nuclear programme is peaceful. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country is “ready for any kind of verification,” though inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been unable to fully verify Iran’s stockpile in recent months.
Similar negotiations last year collapsed after Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran that included US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Gulf Arab states have warned any new military escalation could trigger a wider regional conflict.
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