President Donald Trump warned Iran of potential consequences should it fail to reach an agreement with the United States, as negotiators prepared for the latest round of talks in Geneva on Tuesday.
Mediated by Oman, the recently resumed discussions are aimed at averting possible US military action, with Tehran expressing cautious optimism at Washington’s “more realistic” position on its nuclear programme.
Trump has repeatedly threatened military intervention against Iran, initially over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month and more recently in relation to its nuclear activities.
A previous diplomatic effort collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran in June, triggering a 12-day conflict that Washington briefly joined to target Iranian nuclear facilities.
“A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least from what we have been told, the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
According to Tehran, Tuesday’s talks in Switzerland will also be mediated by Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi in Geneva on Monday to discuss his country’s position “regarding nuclear issues and sanctions relief”.
He also stressed Tehran’s “seriousness in pursuing result-orientated diplomacy to secure the legitimate interests and rights of the Iranian people” and to preserve regional stability, according to a ministry statement.
Iran has insisted that discussions remain confined to the nuclear issue, although Washington has previously sought to broaden the agenda to include its ballistic missile programme and support for armed groups in the region.
War games
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological arm of the armed forces, began a series of military exercises on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz to prepare for “potential security and military threats". Iranian state television reported.
Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to close the strategic waterway—a key route for oil and liquefied natural gas exports—as both sides intensify pressure ahead of the resumption of talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday, "We're hopeful there’s a deal.
“The president always prefers peaceful and negotiated outcomes.”
Araghchi, meanwhile, said on X that he had arrived in Geneva with “practical proposals to achieve a fair and balanced agreement" but added that there would be no “submission in the face of threats”.
The foreign minister also said he was meeting in Geneva with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for “in-depth technical discussions”.
Western powers fear Iran’s programme is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon, an allegation Tehran denies.
Regime change?
Washington has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House confirmed on Sunday.
On Friday, Trump said that a change of government in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen”, as he ordered a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to increase military pressure.
The first carrier deployed to the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln, was positioned about 700 kilometres (435 miles) off the Iranian coast as of Sunday, according to new satellite imagery.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifted sanctions that have severely weakened the country’s economy.
“If we see sincerity on their (American) part, I am confident we will be on a path towards reaching an agreement,” he said.
