Path for a deal has started: Iran FM

2026-02-17 - 17:57

Geneva, Switzerland – The second round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Geneva concluded on Tuesday, with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, saying that “the path for a deal has started”. Araghchi said the progress made in talks does not mean his country will reach an agreement soon with Washington on Tehran’s nuclear programme. “The two parties still have topics on which to work on. I can say compared to the last round, we’ve had very serious discussions and there was a constructive atmosphere where we exchanged our point of view,” he told reporters. “Those ideas were discussed and we came to some agreements and some main principles. And based on those principles, we will eventually draft a document... We are hopeful we can achieve this. When we reach the stage of drafting a document, naturally the process will slow down.” The talks, which were held at the Omani consulate in Geneva, lasted around four hours. According to reports, the two sides exchanged notes on nuclear issues through Omani mediators, with the participation of experts in nuclear, legal and economic matters. This round of talks focused primarily on the technical aspects of the negotiations. H E Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi, Oman Foreign Minister, with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi The Iranian delegation was led by Araghchi, while the American side was headed by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner. Both delegations held separate meetings with H E Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi, Oman’s Foreign Minister at the Omani consulate before exchanging notes through the mediators. Araghchi said Tehran has repeatedly affirmed that it “neither seeks to manufacture nor to acquire nuclear weapons, which have no place whatsoever in Iran’s national security doctrine”. He told reporters that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, however, “explicitly recognises the inalienable right of all state parties to develop research, produce and use nuclear energy, including enrichment for peaceful purposes”. He insisted that the right is “inherent, non-negotiable and legally binding”. Following the talks, H E Sayyid Badr posted on X: “Today’s indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States in Geneva concluded with good progress towards identifying common goals and relevant technical issues. The spirit of our meetings was constructive. Together we made serious efforts to define a number of guiding principles for a final deal. The contribution of the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi was much appreciated. Much work is yet to be done, and the parties left with clear next steps before the next meeting.” In remarks to Iranian state TV regarding the third round of talks, Araghchi said, “No specific time has been set,” adding that “it was agreed that both sides would work further on draft texts for a potential agreement, after which the drafts would be exchanged and a date for a third round would be set.” The first round of talks took place in Muscat earlier this month, more than eight months after diplomacy was suspended following the Iran-Israel war last June. Sources said that during the round, both sides presented practical proposals on technical issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme, with Tehran insisting on the removal of sanctions.