US-Iran nuclear talks resume as military threat looms

Iran and the United States are preparing to meet in Geneva for nuclear negotiations; The talks are seen as a last chance for diplomacy as America gathers a fleet of aircraft and warships for the Middle East to pressure Tehran to reach a deal.

US president Donald Trump wants a deal to restrict Iran’s nuclear program and sees an opportunity as the country struggles with growing opposition following nationwide protests in January.

Iran, meanwhile, maintains it wants to continue enriching uranium even though its program was left in ruins after Trump ordered attacks on the Islamic Republic’s three nuclear facilities in June.

Iran has said that in the event of an American attack, all US military bases in the Middle East would be considered legitimate targets and tens of thousands of American soldiers would be put at risk.

Iran has also threatened to attack Israel after a 12-day war in 2025; This means that a regional war may break out again in the Middle East.

“There will be no victory for anyone, it will be a devastating war,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said before flying to Geneva.

“Since the Americans’ bases are scattered in different parts of the region, then unfortunately perhaps the entire region will be engaged and involved, so that’s a very scary scenario.”

On Thursday, Araghchi will again sit across from billionaire real estate developer and friend Steve Witkoff, who serves as Trump’s special Middle East envoy.

The two men held multiple rounds of talks in 2025 that collapsed after Israel launched a war against Iran in June.

These latest talks are also being mediated by Oman, a sultanate located on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula that has long served as a mediator between Iran and the West.

Araghchi met with Omani foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi after arriving in Geneva on Wednesday night.

According to a report by the state-run Oman News Agency, the men “reviewed the views and proposals that the Iranian side would present to reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, based on the guiding principles agreed upon in the previous round of negotiations.”

It was stated that Al Busaidi will convey Iran’s offer to American officials on Thursday.

In this round of negotiations, Trump sought to completely halt Iran’s uranium enrichment as well as address Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional militant forces.

Iran argues that the talks should focus only on nuclear issues.

Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday.

He said Tehran is not currently enriching uranium but “they are trying to get to the point where they can eventually do that.”

Iran says it has not enriched itself since June but has blocked inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from visiting sites bombed by America.

The West and the IAEA say Iran had a nuclear weapons program until 2003.

Before the June attack, it was enriching uranium to 60 percent purity; this was a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.

US intelligence agencies assess that Iran has not yet restarted a weapons program but is “taking actions that would better position itself to produce a nuclear device if it so chooses.”

Iranian officials, who insist that its program is peaceful, have threatened to go after the bomb in recent years.