Iran-US nuclear talks advanced with what Tehran described as “significant progress” on Thursday, as Iran and the United States agreed to hold a fresh round of negotiations in Vienna within a week. The Oman-mediated discussions are aimed at preventing military escalation and shaping a potential agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the negotiations had moved into detailed elements of a possible agreement. Speaking to state television, Abbas Araghchi stated that the talks “made very good progress and entered into the elements of an agreement very seriously, both in the nuclear field and in the sanctions field.” He added that the next round would take place in “perhaps less than a week”, with technical discussions at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna beginning on Monday.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi confirmed that technical consultations would be held in Vienna next week. In a statement posted on X, Badr Albusaidi said the day concluded after “significant progress in the negotiation between the United States and Iran”.
The latest round was held at the Omani ambassador’s residence in Geneva under tight security. Delegations conducted a morning session before pausing for consultations with their respective capitals. A second session resumed at 1700 GMT. Abbas Araghchi later described the negotiations as “the most intense so far”, stating that both sides agreed to engage in more detailed discussions on sanctions termination and nuclear-related commitments.
According to a source familiar with the discussions, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi joined the negotiations, underlining the central role of the UN nuclear watchdog in verifying any future agreement.
The talks come amid heightened regional tensions and an expanded US military presence in the Middle East. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier departed a naval base in Crete this week, while the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group remains deployed in the region. The United States currently has more than a dozen warships operating in Middle Eastern waters, including one aircraft carrier, nine destroyers and three other combat vessels. The presence of two US aircraft carriers in the region is considered unusual.
US President Donald Trump has set a 15-day deadline for Tehran to reach an agreement, while warning of possible military action. In his recent State of the Union address, Donald Trump accused Iran of pursuing “sinister nuclear ambitions” and claimed Tehran had developed missiles capable of threatening Europe and US overseas bases.
Iran has rejected those allegations. President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated before the Geneva talks that the Islamic republic is “not at all” seeking nuclear weapons and maintains that its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian energy purposes. The Iranian foreign ministry described Trump’s accusations as “big lies”.
Iran states that the maximum range of its missiles is 2,000 kilometres. The US Congressional Research Service estimates the range at approximately 3,000 kilometres, which does not extend to the continental United States.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the US negotiating team may demand the dismantling of Iran’s three main nuclear facilities and the transfer of its remaining enriched uranium to the United States. Iranian officials have not confirmed any such concession and continue to insist that negotiations focus exclusively on nuclear activities and sanctions removal, while Washington seeks broader limits including on Iran’s missile programme and regional alliances.
Previous negotiations earlier this month in Oman and last week in Geneva followed a failed diplomatic effort that collapsed after Israeli strikes on Iran last June triggered a 12-day conflict. The United States briefly joined that conflict with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Domestically, Iran has faced renewed protests, including demonstrations at universities, following a crackdown earlier this year. Residents in Tehran expressed concern about the impact of any renewed conflict. One resident said war would bring famine and hardship, reflecting anxiety over economic pressure linked to sanctions and geopolitical uncertainty.
The outcome of the Vienna round will be closely watched by global energy markets and policymakers, as any breakthrough in Iran-US nuclear talks could affect oil supply flows, sanctions enforcement and regional energy security dynamics.
