Nuclear issue: Iran's Foreign Minister arrives in Geneva, preparing for talks with Washington

AFP, Geneva - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Monday, according to Iran's state television, as a new round of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue will begin here. This round of talks is a new "indirect" dialogue between Iran and the United States, which is expected to start on Tuesday. Previously, Iran and the United States resumed dialogue in Oman at the beginning of February, when the United States threatened possible military action against Iran.

AFP reported that Iran's state television announced on Telegram on Monday: "The Foreign Minister has arrived in Geneva with a diplomatic delegation and expert team to participate in the second round of nuclear issue negotiations." Araghchi emphasized on X platform: "There is no option of yielding to threats at the negotiation table. We have come with genuine ideas to achieve a fair and reasonable agreement."

Araghchi also announced that he will meet with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Monday for "in-depth technical discussions," and meet with Oman's Foreign Minister on Tuesday.

The White House confirmed on Sunday that U.S. envoy Wittkop and President Trump's son-in-law Kushner will travel to Geneva this week to attend the negotiations. They will also discuss with Russia and Ukraine.

In January this year, after the Iranian authorities brutally suppressed a large-scale protest, President Trump repeatedly threatened to take military action against Iran, while also leaving room for diplomatic solutions (especially on the nuclear issue). On February 6, the first round of negotiations was held in Muscat, the capital of Oman, following months of failed negotiations.

In June last year, a 12-day war broke out between Iran and Israel, during which Israeli air strikes targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and military objectives, causing the negotiations to be suspended. During this period, the United States also bombed Iran's nuclear facilities.

Uncertainties

Western countries and Israel suspect that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this intention but insists on its right to develop civil nuclear energy.

If no agreement is reached, Trump threatened to impose "traumatic" consequences on Iran, even publicly mentioning the possibility of overthrowing the Iranian regime on Friday. On Sunday, residents of Tehran shouted anti-government slogans from windows and rooftops, and the day before, Iranians overseas held large-scale rallies against the Islamic Republic.

The United States has deployed a large number of military forces in the region. After the "Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier was sent to the Gulf region in January, the second aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford" will also join, with the specific time not yet determined.

There are differences between the United States and Iran on the agenda of the new round of negotiations. Iran is only willing to discuss the nuclear program, while Washington and Israel require Iran to limit its ballistic missile program and stop supporting regional armed groups.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the "primary condition" for a U.S.-Iran agreement is that "all enriched materials must leave Iran." Several countries, including Russia, have proposed to take over these stockpiles.

"The second condition is that Iran must not have any enrichment capability, which is not just stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and infrastructure used for enriching uranium," Netanyahu added.

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, said in an interview with BBC on Sunday that if Washington lifts the sanctions that have harmed Iran's economy, Iran is willing to make compromises on the issue of high-enriched uranium stockpiles.

Before the U.S. air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025, Iran's uranium enrichment level had reached 60%, far exceeding the 3.67% limit allowed by the 2015 nuclear deal. High-enriched uranium (90%) can be used to make nuclear bombs.

Sources: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1857276041103360/

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