Trump says Iran wants a deal more than the U.S. ahead of next round of negotiations in Geneva
Iran wants more of a “deal” from the United States, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, ahead of a planned next round of talks with Tehran and at a time when American forces are strengthening in the Middle East.
According to CNBC’s Joe Kernen, Trump said in his preliminary speech a few hours before the State of the Union address in Washington DC that Tehran’s rejection of its commitment not to develop nuclear weapons remains the most important obstacle to the deal.
The United States and Iran are expected to hold talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday, focusing on Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday He said that he was still working on the proposal and that the political leadership in Tehran had not yet signed it. He said the proposal would consist of elements that meet the “concerns and interests” of both parties.
Araghchi added that the proposal will be discussed in Geneva and both sides will work on a text to reach a “quick agreement”.
Previous rounds of talks failed to produce a meaningful breakthrough and tensions remained high, with Trump threatening limited airstrikes on Iran.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said the following in his statement after the second round of negotiations held in Geneva last week: to mail He said on X on Sunday that recent talks had “provided encouraging signals” but warned that Iran was prepared for “any potential scenario”.
Tensions have risen sharply in recent weeks as Washington increased its military presence in the region and Trump warned that “really bad things” could happen if Tehran did not reach an agreement on the future of its nuclear programme.
TOPSHOT – U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance (left), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd right) and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (right) at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2025.
Carlos Barria | Afp | Getty Images
Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave the evacuation order Non-emergency personnel were dispatched to the US embassy in Beirut on Monday amid Trump’s renewed warnings about airstrikes.
Last Friday, Trump said he was considering limited airstrikes on Iran, delaying a two-week deadline for Tehran to reach a nuclear deal.
Iran has signaled that it is ready to make concessions on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and recognition of the right to enrich uranium. Reuters he reported, citing a senior Iranian official.
Tehran will consider sending half of its most highly enriched uranium abroad, diluting the rest and participating in the process of forming a regional enrichment consortium, the official said. However, in doing so, he demanded that the United States recognize Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment and lift economic sanctions, according to Reuters.
Trump is expected to release his State of the Union statement later in the day. This is expected to focus heavily on the economy, as opinion polls show the president is losing support for his handling of the economy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in November.
Oil prices rose on Wednesday on concerns of impending military action against Iran if a deal is not reached. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 41 cents, or 0.62%, to $66 a barrel, while Brent futures rose 45 cents, or 0.64%, to $71.2 a barrel.
While İpek Özkardeskaya, senior market analyst at Swissquote Bank, said that further rises could push US crude oil prices above $70 and potentially towards $80 per barrel, she noted that “geopolitically driven rises” were temporary and any sharp upward movement could give way to a correction.
