U.S. and Iranian officials held hours of indirect negotiations in Geneva on Thursday over Tehran’s nuclear program, but ended the session without announcing a deal, as Washington builds up military forces in the region and both sides signal major gaps—especially over Iran’s missile program and uranium enrichment.
GENEVA — Iran and the United States held hours of indirect negotiations on Thursday over Tehran’s nuclear program but left without announcing an agreement, underscoring the risk of renewed conflict as the United States amasses aircraft and warships in the Middle East.
Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, mediated the talks in Geneva and said there had been “significant progress” without providing details. Iranian state television, however, reported shortly before the talks ended that Iran intended to continue enriching uranium, rejected proposals to transfer enriched material abroad, and sought the lifting of international sanctions—positions that would not meet key demands set out by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Geneva meeting was the third round of contacts since talks collapsed last year after Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran in June and the United States carried out heavy strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, leaving much of the country’s nuclear infrastructure damaged, though the full extent of that damage remains unclear.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, represented Tehran. The U.S. delegation was led by Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and a friend of Trump who serves as a special Middle East envoy, alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Ahead of Thursday’s discussions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Iran’s refusal to discuss its ballistic missile program, telling reporters that Iran “refuses to talk about the ballistic missiles to us or to anyone, and that’s a big problem.” Rubio said Washington wants the negotiations to address more than the nuclear file, while Iranian officials have insisted the talks remain focused on nuclear issues.
Al-Busaidi said technical-level talks would continue next week in Vienna, home to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which would likely play a key role in any agreement.
The talks took place as both sides warned of the consequences of failure. Iran has said U.S. bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets if America attacks. Araghchi told India Today that a wider war could draw in countries across the region, calling it “a very terrible scenario.”
The dispute also centers on what Iran is doing at sites hit during last year’s fighting. Rubio said Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program, adding that Tehran is not enriching uranium now “but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.” Iran has said it has not enriched since June, but it has blocked IAEA inspectors from visiting the bombed facilities. Satellite imagery analyzed by The Associated Press has shown activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran may be assessing damage and attempting to recover material.
While no breakthrough was announced, analysts said the continuation of talks itself could indicate that neither side is ready to abandon diplomacy. Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group said it was notable that the U.S. team did not walk away immediately after Iran presented its latest proposal, arguing that the Americans’ continued engagement suggested “enough common ground” remains to keep negotiations going.
