Iran’s top diplomat said that the next round of nuclear talks is expected in less than a week after what he described as “progress in the most serious exchanges” between Tehran and Washington. The statement follows the third round of nuclear talks on Thursday (26 February) in Geneva.
The dialogue was mediated by the Sultanate of Oman in an attempt to resolve the long-standing U.S.-Iran dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme which is dramatically spiralling towards a military escalation.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian delegation and the U.S. team was headed by Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner who joined the renewed talks after they were disrupted by Israel-U.S. invasion last June.
"Of course, there are still differences of opinion, which is natural. But compared to the past, more seriousness is observed on both sides to reach a negotiated solution," Araghchi told reporters after the meeting.
"It was agreed that from Monday, technical teams in Vienna and at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will begin expert reviews so that technical issues can be sorted within a specific framework which will adapted to the demands and political considerations of both sides,” IRNA state news agency quoted FM Araghchi.
The Iranian side, he said, laid out its demand for lifting sanctions and the process for their removal and both sides needed to consult with their respective capitals.
“We expressed very clearly our expectations regarding the lifting of sanctions. Consultations should take place in the capitals, and then we will have the fourth round of negotiations next week,” he added.
On the eve of talks, Araghchi met with mediator Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi on Wednesday reviewing preparations of the talks.
He submitted Iran’s proposal on a nuclear agreement to his Omani counterpart which was relayed to the U.S. side.
Earlier this week in an interview with CBS, he said Tehran was working on core elements of a draft text that includes provisions accommodating the concerns and interests of both sides.
Earlier, he said in a series of posts on social media X that Iran and U.S. “have (an) historic opportunity to strike “as soon as possible an unprecedented, fair and equitable deal”.
Prior to his departure to Geneva, he stressed in an interview with India Today TV, that “Iran is ready for both war and peace” to safeguard its right to civilian nuclear programme under the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
He was referring to Washington’s military buildup in the region to pressure Tehran to a deal or face the risks of another U.S. invasion after it bombed Iran’s nuclear sites last June during a 12-day war.
Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi who spoke with Araghchi by phone this week participated in the Geneva talks.
Grossi has said previously that an “obvious gap” exists between Iran and U.S. over uranium enrichment.
U.S. officials demand “zero enrichment” but the Iranian side regards this as a “red line” for the country and an inherent and non-negotiable right under NPT.
“Uranium enrichment is a matter of dignity and pride and we will not abandon it. Iran is a member of NPT and has every right to enjoy peaceful nuclear energy including enrichment” Araghchi told CBS.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that there are encouraging signals in the renewed mediated talks between Iran and Washington, stressing unity to overcome the country’s enemies.
In a meeting with political figures and businessmen during a visit to the Caspian Sea province of Mazandaran on Wednesday, he stated, “We see a promising outlook regarding the talks.”
Last week, he said in a post on X social media that talks with the U.S. have “yielded encouraging signals” stressing Iran’s readiness “for any potential scenario”.
Today’s (26 February) nuclear negotiations in Geneva which followed the 6 February meeting in Oman and 17 February talks in Switzerland were regarded as an historic and decisive opportunity to strike a deal and avert a military standoff.
Iran has vowed that it would retaliate any U.S. attack as an “act of aggression” warning that its backlash will spill over to the region as it will attack U.S. bases and interests in the surrounding countries as “legitimate targets”.
The Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) staged a large-scale combined drill along Iran’s southern coastline on Tuesday with combat and support units taking part.
IRGC commanders described the drill codenamed “Combined Exercise 1404” as an example of how emerging technologies are being incorporated into ground warfare to improve precision, mobility, and coordination on the battlefield.
The wargame was held on the eve of the nuclear talks amid escalation of tensions and speculation of war between Tehran and Washington following the U.S. buildup of military assets in the region.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has strongly warned against U.S. military build-up for a war with Iran and also slammed the U.S. determining outcome of the nuclear negotiations.
"Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea,” he said in a public meeting last week.
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Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
The U.S. and Iran are meeting in Pakistan under a fragile ceasefire but remain deeply divided over Tehran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and regional security. With fighting in Lebanon escalating, the talks face mounting pressure.
A French fashion label is placing China at the heart of its global ambitions, choosing Shanghai for its worldwide debut in a move that shows growing confidence in the country’s consumer market and cultural influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun that “people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese” and that the future of cross-strait ties should be decided by “the Chinese people themselves”.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Some geographies are small on the map yet immense in history. The Strait of Hormuz is one. About a quarter of global oil trade and a fifth of LNG flows pass through this narrow corridor - around 20 million barrels per day sustaining the global system.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun that “people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese” and that the future of cross-strait ties should be decided by “the Chinese people themselves”.
Three months following the U.S. raid that captured socialist President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January, the Venezuelan National Assembly approved a new law on Thursday loosening the state’s grip on mining investments to open the sector for private and foreign companies.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 10 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives have blocked an attempt led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to restrict presidential war powers over military action involving Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday an Easter ceasefire with Ukraine lasting 32-hours and said that Kyiv has agreed to abide by the measure. The ceasefire is expected to begin at 16:00 (13:00 GMT) on Saturday 11 April and last until midnight Sunday 12 April, the Kremlin said.
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