U.S. and Iran Begin Indirect Nuclear Talks in Geneva Amid Military Tensions

By Emmanuel Bobby

The United States and Iran are holding indirect talks in Geneva on Tuesday in an effort to resolve their long-running nuclear dispute, with few signs of compromise as Washington increases its military presence in the region.

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are participating in the negotiations, which are being mediated by Oman, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, according to a source briefed on the matter.

President Donald Trump said he would be involved “indirectly” in the talks and expressed confidence that Tehran wants to reach an agreement. “I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Monday, adding that earlier diplomacy could have avoided U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iran acknowledged that a previous effort to revive negotiations was disrupted last June when Israel launched airstrikes, later joined by U.S. B-2 bombers targeting Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran has since said it has halted uranium enrichment.

The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of extended operations against Iran if ordered by Trump, while Iran has begun military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route. Gulf Arab states have urged both sides to pursue diplomacy to avoid further escalation.

Negotiations resumed on February 6, amid internal pressure on Iran’s leadership following protests over economic conditions worsened by sanctions. The U.S. has since deployed what Trump described as a massive naval armada to the region.

Washington is pushing to expand the talks beyond nuclear issues to include Iran’s missile program, but Tehran insists it will only discuss nuclear limits in exchange for sanctions relief and refuses to abandon uranium enrichment or negotiate on missiles.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that reaching a deal with Iran would be difficult but that the U.S. remains willing to try. Aragchi also met with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in Geneva to discuss cooperation and technical aspects of the talks.

Later Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner are also expected to participate in three-way talks with Russia and Ukraine as Washington seeks to broker an agreement to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.