US-Iran talks in Geneva focus on nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles
This combination of photos created on April 09, 2025, shows US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff after a meeting with Russian officials at the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025 (L); and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speak to AFP during an interview at the Iranian consulate in Jeddah, March 7, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein | Emir Hilabi | AFP | Getty Images
The third round of talks between the United States and Iran began in Geneva on Thursday; Iran was under intense pressure to reach a nuclear agreement with the United States and halt its nuclear and ballistic missile development programs.
The United States has amassed a large military force in the Middle East ahead of the debates, and President Donald Trump warned last week that “bad things” would happen if Iran did not agree to a new nuclear deal.
On the eve of the latest talks in Switzerland, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran’s reluctance to discuss the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles was also a significant obstacle.
“Negotiations [on Thursday] “We’re going to focus largely on the nuclear program, and we hope that progress can be made… But it’s also important to remember that Iran refuses – refuses – to talk to us or anyone about ballistic missiles, and that’s a big problem.” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Beyond the nuclear program, Rubio said Iran’s conventional weapons are “designed solely to attack America and attack Americans if they want to. Those issues need to be addressed.”
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump claimed that Tehran was working on rockets that could reach the United States “soon” but did not provide evidence for his claim.
When asked how close Iran is to achieving such weapons that pose a direct threat to U.S. territory, Rubio said, “Frankly, they are well on their way to developing weapons that could one day reach the continental United States… And the ranges continue to grow exponentially every year,” calling it an “unsustainable threat.”
Thursday’s final round of talks is led by US Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, while the Tehran delegation is led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Oman is mediating the discussions, and the residence of Oman’s ambassador to the United Nations is expected to be the venue for the talks.
Pressure is certainly mounting for Iran to accept a deal in which it would bow to US demands that it halt efforts to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.
A big breakthrough?
Iran had previously rejected this request, and Araghchi insisted that Iran “will not develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances.” But Tehran instead signaled that it was ready to make concessions to appease the United States.
Araghchi said Wednesday that a “fair, balanced and equitable agreement” was achievable, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iranian state television that “Iran has come here with quite reasonable flexibility.” He added that Iran “has the right to use it.” nuclear energy for peaceful purposes“This is a recognized right.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks at a press conference at the Lutfi Krdar Congress Center during the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on June 22, 2025 in Istanbul.
Ozan Köse | Afp | Getty Images
Araghchi said CBS’s “Face the Nation” He said last Sunday he was still working on a proposal that would include elements that meet the “concerns and interests” of both parties. He said the proposal would be discussed in Geneva and both sides would work on a text to reach a “quick agreement”.
Tehran is desperate for sanctions relief as anti-government protests against the country’s economy and authoritarian leadership continue to shake the regime. These protests continued on Thursday, with students leading the latest demonstrations at Iranian universities.
Analysts suspect the next 24 hours will lead to a major breakthrough in the impasse between the two sides, but said US military intervention, which could cause turmoil in the wider Middle East and oil markets, was not an immediate threat for now.
Paul Musgrave, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told CNBC that both sides will “reaffirm their core interests” in the next 24 hours.
“I would say on the Iranian side it’s really simple; making sure the regime is secure, making sure they have the option to legally acquire nuclear weapons, and making sure their conventional ballistic missile program remains intact,” he told CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Thursday.
“On the American side, we’ve seen a variety of goals expressed, some incompatible with others, from protecting protesters to getting rid of Iranian missiles to banning Iran from having nuclear weapons. If you’re the Iranian government, you’re probably looking at this and trying to think about what exactly the Americans want from this?” he added.
“I don’t expect a major breakthrough in the next 24 hours, but I also don’t expect a military attack in the next 24 hours,” he said.
