US-Iran Negotiations in Geneva End with "Significant Progress"
Geneva (ANTARA) – Iranian and American delegations concluded their latest round of negotiations in Geneva “following significant progress in the talks”, according to Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi on Thursday, 26 February.
“We will resume shortly after consulting in our respective capitals. Technical discussions will be held next week in Vienna,” he stated in a post on X.
The meeting marked the third round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States under Omani mediation, which began Thursday morning local time.
The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, whilst US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner represented Washington in the negotiations.
Araghchi told Iranian state television that the talks “have made very good progress and have entered into serious discussions of deal elements, both in the nuclear and sanctions domains,” according to various media reports. He stated that both sides would likely hold another round of negotiations within a week.
Earlier that day, Albusaidi noted that both delegations demonstrated “unprecedented openness to new ideas and creative solutions” in the negotiations, adding that efforts continue intensively and in a constructive atmosphere.
The third round of negotiations took place amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States, following increased US military presence in the Middle East.
The first and second rounds of negotiations were held earlier this month in Muscat and Geneva, focusing on restrictions on Iran’s uranium enrichment and stockpiles in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
The Trump administration demands a verifiable agreement without time limits to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, amid threats of military action should diplomacy fail.
For its part, Iran insists that negotiations focus solely on its nuclear programme and demands the lifting of a series of sanctions imposed by the United States, whilst reaffirming that Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons.