A new round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations is scheduled for today in Geneva, Switzerland, sources have told CNN. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to attend.
The talks are being held even though President Donald Trump struck a pessimistic tone Friday over a potential nuclear deal, saying the Iranians don’t have a good track record.
This is what happened at the last round of talks in Oman on February 6, which marked the first diplomatic engagement since the US and Israel struck Iran last summer.
Trump described the discussions as “very good talks,” and Iranian officials called it “a good start,” but substantive differences quickly surfaced.
The indirect talks were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, with the US delegation led by Witkoff and Kushner, and Iran represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
On the nuclear issue, Iran reiterated its demand to enrich uranium — a nuclear fuel that can be used to make a bomb if purified to high levels — which the US and its allies reject. Iran offered to place checks on its nuclear program to ensure it isn’t weaponized, demanding the lifting of sanctions in return.
Washington also pushed to include ballistic missiles and Iran’s regional proxy network in the region, such as Hezbollah, in any future agreement, arguing the issue extended beyond nuclear capability. Iran rejected that expansion outright.
Even as talks proceeded, the US moved military assets into the region and imposed new sanctions, while Iran warned it would attack US bases if struck again.
