U.S. and Iran Scheduled for Renewed Nuclear Negotiations in Geneva This Week, Confirms Swiss Government

GENEVA – The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that Iran and the United States are set to engage in a second round of discussions regarding Tehran’s nuclear program next week.

The initial round of indirect dialogue took place on February 6 and was facilitated by Oman. The upcoming talks will be held in Geneva, although specific dates have not yet been disclosed by the Swiss authorities.

Following the initial meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, suggesting that failing to reach a deal with his administration could lead to “very traumatic” consequences.

Previously, similar negotiations came to a halt last June when tensions escalated into a 12-day conflict initiated by Israel, during which the United States conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

President Trump has consistently asserted that military action remains an option should Iran refuse to limit its nuclear ambitions. Tehran, in response, has vowed to retaliate if attacked. Additionally, Trump has criticized Iran for its harsh measures against recent widespread protests within the country.

Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict.

Trump said Friday the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean to the Mideast to join other military assets the U.S. has built up in the region. He also said a change in power in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”

The indirect talks on Feb. 6 were between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. The top military commander in the Middle East was also present for the first time.

The Trump administration has maintained that Iran can have no uranium enrichment under any deal. Tehran says it won’t agree to that.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his nation is “ready for any kind of verification.” However, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been unable for months to inspect and verify Iran’s nuclear stockpile.

Trump has suggested in recent weeks that his top priority is for Iran to scale back its nuclear program. Iran has said it wants talks to focus solely on the nuclear program.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump in Washington this week, has pressed for any deal to include steps to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile program and end its funding for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.