The Media Line: US, Iran Claim ‘Significant Progress’ in Nuclear Talks, No Agreement Disclosed; Further Discussions Next Week   

US, Iran Claim ‘Significant Progress’ in Nuclear Talks, No Agreement Disclosed; Further Discussions Next Week   

By The Media Line Staff  

US and Iranian officials made what mediators described as “significant progress” during nuclear negotiations in Geneva, Oman’s foreign minister said, as the two sides agreed to continue talks despite unresolved disputes and heightened military tensions in the region.  

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who acted as mediator, said discussions produced advances and said technical-level talks are scheduled to take place next week in Vienna.  

As in previous rounds of talks, the US delegation was led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and included Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also joined the negotiations, reflecting the watchdog’s role in any future monitoring arrangement.  

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “good progress” had been achieved during the Geneva talks, adding that agreement on some issues had been reached but that there were still disagreements.   

The talks come as US President Donald Trump has ordered the largest US military buildup in the Middle East since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Iranian officials have said any attack on the country would be met with force.  

According to officials familiar with the discussions, the primary point of contention remains Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Tehran has insisted it must retain the ability to enrich uranium for what it describes as peaceful purposes. The United States has proposed Iran ship its stockpile of about 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of enriched uranium out of the country.  

US officials are believed to have offered concessions during the talks, though no proposals have been made public. One option discussed, according to officials, could allow Iran to resume uranium enrichment at minimal levels after a suspension of three to five years, under international monitoring, the BBC reported.  

In return for an agreement, Araghchi said in remarks broadcast on Iranian television that Iran’s negotiators are demanding the lifting of sanctions that have severely damaged the country’s economy. Critics of the Iranian regime have warned that sanctions relief would provide economic and political breathing room for the country’s clerical leadership.  

While officials on both sides signaled willingness to continue diplomacy, no timetable was announced for reaching a final agreement, and the prospects for a deal capable of averting conflict remain uncertain.