TEHRAN, February 17. /TASS/. The second round of indirect negotiations between Iranian and US representatives ended in Geneva.
TASS has compiled the main information available at this time.
Latest round of talks
- A fresh round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States took place in Geneva.
- The meeting was held at the embassy of Oman.
- The consultations focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions against Tehran, Iran’s state broadcaster said.
- According to the broadcaster, Iranian diplomats insisted on retaining Tehran’s uranium enrichment program that Washington seeks to dismantle.
- The Iranian delegation included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari, as well as "experts on technical, legal, and economic issues," Iran’s state broadcaster reported.
- Reuters reported that US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner would take part in the talks with Iran in Geneva.
- During the negotiations, Iran called on the US to lift all sanctions, the Tasnim news agency reported.
- According to the agency, Tehran also intended to discuss with Washington issues of trust in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.
The meeting’s results
- The second round of indirect negotiations between Iranian and US representatives ended in Geneva, Iran’s state broadcaster reported.
- Tehran and Washington reached understanding on a range of general issues, the IRNA news agency said.
- According to IRNA, the consultations were held in a "serious atmosphere."
- Iran and the United States agreed to hold another round of talks after consultations in their capitals, IRNA said.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the talks were constructive.
- According to Araghchi, Iran and the United States reached consensus on a range of basic principles that will be included in the potential nuclear deal.
- The sides will schedule the third round of talks after they formulate and discuss a draft agreement.
Preparations for the meeting
- Earlier, Swiss Foreign Ministry Spokesman Pierre Goubet announced that Oman would host the US-Iranian talks in Geneva.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi met in Geneva on Monday ahead of the new round of indirect consultations.
- Araghchi also held a meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss technical matters in advance of the talks.
- Ahead of the talks, the US delegation also met with Grossi and the top Omani diplomat, who briefed the US negotiators on Tehran’s position on the nuclear topic and sanctions, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.
Parties’ positions
- US President Donald Trump believes that the Iranian leadership understands potential consequences and seeks to strike a deal with Washington.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it would not be easy to reach an agreement with Tehran, but Washington would try to achieve this.
- Rubio noted that the US could sign a diplomatic agreement with Iran that would satisfy Washington’s requirements.
- There are no disagreements between the US and Israel regarding talks with Iran, US Senator Lindsay Graham (listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia) told Axios.
- According to Graham, the US and Israel regularly exchange information and fully coordinate their actions in the negotiation process.
- He noted that Trump was planning to make a final decision regarding a potential military scenario in Iran in the next few weeks. It will depend on the outcome of the negotiations.
- Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani told Al Jazeera that Washington was moving away from the idea of a military confrontation with Tehran.
- The lineup of Iran’s negotiating team reflects Tehran’s intention to hold results-oriented talks, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei noted.
- Trump will not be able to destroy the Islamic Republic, just as previous American leaders failed to do so, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized.
Potential terms of the deal
- Washington and Tehran could discuss the possibility of US access to Iran’s mineral resources, CNN reported earlier, citing sources.
- According to CNN, this issue had already been raised at US-Iran talks last year.
- In 2025, there were discussions about granting the US special access to developing Iran’s oil, gas and rare earth minerals.
- The topic is expected to be raised again, the source added.
Previous negotiations
- Five rounds of Oman-mediated nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in 2025 ended to no avail following Israel’s military operation against Iran and US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
- Another round of talks on the Iranian nuclear dossier was held on February 6 in the Omani capital city.
- The Iranian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
- The American delegation was headed by US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff.
- Oman delivered messages from the US to Iran after the first round of negotiations, Ali Larijani said.