By Emmanuel Bobby
The United States and Iran have agreed on the “guiding principles” for nuclear negotiations, Tehran’s foreign minister said Tuesday, while cautioning that more work is needed to reach a full agreement and avert the risk of U.S. military action.
“I believe we made good progress,” said Abbas Araghchi, head of the Iranian delegation in Geneva. “The path toward an agreement has started, but we will not reach it quickly.” He added that both sides would separately work on draft texts before the next round of negotiations.
A U.S. official confirmed progress but emphasized that many details remain unresolved. Vice President JD Vance described the talks as mixed in an interview with Fox News, noting that while some aspects went well, U.S. red lines remain a sticking point for Iran.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are leading the U.S. delegation, with mediation by Oman. The Iranian delegation indicated it would return in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to bridge differences, according to the U.S. official.
The progress comes amid a significant U.S. military buildup, as President Donald Trump pressures Iran for a new nuclear deal following Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide unrest. Trump has suggested “regime change” in Iran might be necessary, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said any U.S. attempts to depose his government would fail.
Concurrently, Iranian state media reported temporary closures of parts of the Strait of Hormuz for military drills by the Revolutionary Guard. Tehran has previously threatened to block the strait to commercial shipping in response to attacks, a move that could disrupt global oil flows.
“We have entered certain details related to both the lifting of sanctions and nuclear subjects,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei. “We are ready to continue these talks as long as it takes. The issues are complicated. There is no trust between the two parties. We have to continue the negotiations in these conditions.”
Trump confirmed Monday that he would be involved “indirectly” in the Geneva talks and expressed confidence that Iran wants a deal. The U.S. and Israel conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last June, which Tehran says have since halted uranium enrichment activity.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and refuses to discuss curbs on its missile program, though it is willing to negotiate limits on nuclear development in exchange for sanctions relief. Khamenei emphasized that Iran’s missile stockpile is nonnegotiable.
The talks were held at the residence of the Omani ambassador to the United Nations under heavy security. The U.S. and Israel view Iran as seeking nuclear weapons, while Iran maintains its program is civilian. Iran is a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows civilian nuclear power while forbidding weapons development, with oversight from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Israel, which has not signed the treaty, maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity to deter regional threats.
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