KEY POINTS
- Iran and US conclude second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva after four hours.
- Iranian FM says both sides agreed on “a set of guiding principles” that would pave the way for deal.
- Negotiations held via Omani mediators at the Omani ambassador’s residence.
- Tehran insists sanctions relief must be part of any nuclear agreement.
- Iranian official says US must avoid “unrealistic demands” for progress.
- Khamenei warns against preconditions and says US can not destroy Iran.
- IRGC navy says it can close Strait of Hormuz on leadership’s order.
TEHRAN/GENEVA: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday the latest round of talks with the United States saw them agree on “a set of guiding principles” that would pave the way for a deal.
The second round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States concluded in Geneva on Tuesday after around four hours of talks, Iranian state media reported.
Iranian state television said delegations of both countries left the talks venue, the Omani ambassador’s residence in Geneva, after exchanging messages through Omani mediators.
A US convoy of about 10 vehicles departed the residence at around 12:45 GMT, with the Iranian convoy leaving shortly afterwards, according to AFP.
“Ultimately, we were able to reach broad agreement on a set of guiding principles, based on which we will move forward and begin working on the text of a potential agreement,” Araghchi told state TV after the talks in Geneva, which he described as “more constructive” than the previous round earlier this month.
Araghchi said that no date had been set for a third round of talks with the US, as both sides will develop draft texts for a potential deal before fixing a time.
“No specific time has been set” for the third round, Araghchi told state TV.
“It was agreed that both sides would work further on draft texts for a potential agreement, after which the drafts would be exchanged, and a date for a third round would be set.”
Araghchi said the US’s 2018 unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal – known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – was a “clear violation of an internationally endorsed agreement”.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran has repeatedly affirmed that it “neither seeks to manufacture nor to acquire nuclear weapons, which have no place whatsoever in Iran’s national security doctrine”.
Araghchi told reporters that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, however, “explicitly recognises the inalienable right of all state parties to develop research, produce and use nuclear energy, including enrichment for peaceful purposes”.
“This right is inherent, non-negotiable and legally binding,” he said.
Oman says Iran, US made ‘good progress’
The talks began at around 10am Geneva time (09:00 GMT) and focused primarily on technical aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme, according to Iranian media reports.
The Iranian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The US side was headed by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner.
Both delegations held separate meetings with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi before exchanging notes through mediators, Anadolu news agency reported. Oman is acting as an intermediary in the talks.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry of mediator Oman said on social media that the US and Iran made “good progress” during talks in Geneva.
“Today’s indirect negotiations between The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in Geneva concluded with good progress towards identifying common goals and relevant technical issues,” Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote on X.
Experts in nuclear, legal and economic matters participated in the negotiations, according to Anadolu.
The first round of talks took place in Muscat on February 6, more than eight months after diplomacy was suspended following last June’s 12-day Iran–Israel war.
Sources, cited by Al Jazeera, said both sides presented practical proposals on technical issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran insisted that sanctions relief must be part of any agreement.
Lifting sanctions on Iran
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that lifting sanctions was an integral part of Tuesday’s talks.
The spokesperson made the remarks to the Iranian state media on the sidelines of the second round of indirect Iran-US talks in Geneva.
He was quoted as saying that lifting sanctions is an integral part of any agreement on the nuclear issue, adding that the Iranian side is in the Swiss city “with good faith, and are completely serious and result-oriented”.
“We have come here with an open mind and open eyes,” he said. “Time is very important and vital for us.”
He added that the Iranian team is ready to stay in Geneva for a longer period of time to finalise any agreement, a few days or even a few weeks.
‘Unrealistic demands’
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the US seriousness in lifting sanctions and avoiding “unrealistic demands” would be key to ensuring effective negotiations.
The official, who declined to be identified, said Tehran had come to the table with “genuine and constructive proposals”.
Some reports, however, suggested that proposals put forward by Iran may not be acceptable to the American side.
Both delegations are expected to return to their respective capitals and reconvene at a later date.
Iran ready for lengthy talks
Before the talks began, Baghaei told Iranian state media that lifting sanctions was an integral part of any nuclear deal.
“We have come here with an open mind and open eyes,” he said. “Time is very important and vital for us.”
He added that the Iranian team was prepared to remain in Geneva for several days or even weeks if necessary to finalise an agreement.
Khamenei warns against preconditions
Speaking in East Azerbaijan province, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticised US demands and warned against setting outcomes in advance.
“If negotiations are going to take place, determining the outcome of the negotiations in advance is wrong and foolish,” he said, referring to calls for Iran to abandon its nuclear programme.
Khamenei said US President Donald Trump would not succeed in destroying the Islamic republic.
“In one of his recent speeches, the US president said that for 47 years America has not succeeded in destroying the Islamic republic… I tell you: you will not succeed either,” he said.
Khamenei warned that a US warship deployed to the Gulf could be targeted.
“A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump kept up his threats, warning that if Tehran did not make a deal, “the consequences are very steep” and following up by increasing his navy’s presence in the region in the coming days.
Washington has deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region following protests in Iran last month over rising inflation and economic hardship.
Strait of Hormuz tensions
Meanwhile, tensions rose in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy, Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, said his forces could close the waterway “upon orders from the country’s senior leadership”, according to Iranian media.
Speaking during a large-scale military drill in the strait, Tangsiri said weapons used under wartime conditions “would be entirely different” from those displayed in the ongoing exercise.
Tasnim news agency reported that Iran had begun live-fire exercises towards the Strait of Hormuz.
Fars news agency said parts of the strait would be closed for a few hours on Tuesday for security precautions during the drill.
The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
At its narrowest point, it is about 33 kilometres wide, with shipping lanes of roughly 3 kilometres in either direction.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, around 20 percent of global oil consumption passes through the strait, making it the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint.
IAEA engagement
Ahead of the negotiations, Araghchi met International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi in Geneva, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
The meeting focused on technical cooperation and oversight of Iran’s nuclear programme.
In a social media post, Araghchi said Iran was seeking a “fair and equitable deal” but would not yield to external pressure.
Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains a key point of contention. Washington has repeatedly called for zero enrichment and has sought to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme in the discussions.
Tehran insists that its right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable and that talks should focus solely on the nuclear issue.
