Kamal Ghorui
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi left Tehran on Sunday for Geneva to take part in the second round of indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States, Iranian state media reported, with AFP confirming the development.Araghchi “left Tehran for Geneva late Sunday heading a diplomatic and technical delegation to conduct the second round of nuclear talks and hold a number of diplomatic consultations,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement, according to AFP. “Indirect Iran–US nuclear talks will be held on Tuesday with the mediation and good offices of Oman.”
The talks follow an initial round held in Muscat on February 6, when Tehran and Washington resumed negotiations months after earlier efforts collapsed. Those talks had broken down after Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran last June, triggering a 12-day conflict that included US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.Oman is again mediating the discussions. During his Geneva visit, Araghchi is expected to meet his Swiss and Omani counterparts as well as Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and other international officials, the foreign ministry said. Switzerland has long represented US interests in Iran since diplomatic ties were severed following the 1980 hostage crisis.The renewed engagement comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that Washington could resort to military action if Tehran does not curb its nuclear activities, and has deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region following Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests last month. Iran has said it would retaliate in the event of an attack, while Gulf Arab states have warned that escalation could spark a wider regional conflict. Lately, Tehran has also signalled it might scale down its nuclear program if the US agrees to lift sanctions. The Trump administration maintains that Iran must halt all uranium enrichment – a demand Tehran has rejected. Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, though it has enriched uranium to 60% purity in the past, close to weapons-grade levels.AFP reported that Araghchi led the Iranian delegation in the February 6 talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Muscat.Iranian deputy foreign minister Hamid Ghanbari was quoted by Fars news agency as saying Tehran was seeking a deal that would generate economic benefits for both countries, including in aviation, mining and oil and gas. “For the agreement to be viable, it is essential that the United States also be able to benefit from it in areas with strong and rapid economic return potential,” he said.(With inputs from agencies)
