GENEVA — Iran’s foreign minister arrived in Geneva for a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States on Monday, Iranian state television said, as Washington intensifies political and military pressure on Tehran and regional tensions simmer.
Tehran said the Oman-mediated exchanges will take place today, with Washington pushing to broaden the agenda beyond the nuclear file to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional proxies. The two sides resumed contacts this month after a previous effort collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June.
- Advertisement -
At stake is the fate of more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors last verified in June. Western governments fear Iran could use that stockpile to move closer to weapons-grade levels, a charge Tehran denies, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes.
Abbas Araghchi, identified by Tehran as foreign minister, is expected to meet his Swiss and Omani counterparts and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, along with other international officials, Iran’s foreign ministry said.
Washington has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to support the push, the White House confirmed yesterday. On Feb. 6, Araghchi led the Iranian delegation in indirect talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Muscat. Switzerland, which has represented U.S. interests in Iran since Washington severed ties after the 1980 hostage crisis, continues to play a key role in back-channel diplomacy.
The diplomatic track unfolds under the shadow of escalating threats. Trump has repeatedly warned of potential military action against Tehran — first over Iran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests and more recently over its nuclear advances. On Friday, he said a change of government in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen,” as he ordered a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up pressure. The USS Abraham Lincoln was operating in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 6.
Iran has signaled it could make concessions if Washington eases sanctions that have crippled its economy. “If we see the sincerity on their (American) part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC, adding that Tehran would consider compromises on its 60% stockpile in exchange for relief.
Israel, a staunch opponent of any deal that leaves Iran with enrichment capacity, set out maximalist conditions as the Geneva round opened. “There should be no enrichment capability … dismantle the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech in Jerusalem, calling for the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran.
Beyond the security stakes, Tehran is seeking tangible economic gains. Hamid Ghanbari, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for economic diplomacy, said Iran wants a deal with the United States that yields benefits for both sides, particularly in aviation, mining and oil and gas, according to the Fars news agency. “For the agreement to be viable, it is essential that the United States also be able to benefit from it in areas with strong and rapid economic return potential,” he was quoted as saying.
Whether the Oman-mediated Geneva session can bridge these gaps remains unclear. The IAEA’s access questions, uncertainty over Iran’s 60% stockpile and the heightened military posture in the region underscore what diplomats describe as a narrow window to revive momentum — or watch it slip away again.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
