Iran calls talks with US ‘most intense so far’ yet no breakthrough in Geneva

Iran said that the latest round of talks with the United States in Geneva on Thursday (Feb 26) were the “most intense so far”. However, the negotiations failed to reach any breakthrough despite making “significant progress”. Oman has said that both sides have planned to engage in a more “detailed” manner with the next round of talks expected next week in Vienna. The development comes amid US President Donald Trump’s threats of a possible strike if diplomacy fails.

“Further progress has been made in our diplomatic engagement with the United States. This round of talks was the most intense so far,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on X posted overnight after talks on Thursday.

Oman’s foreign minister Badr Al Busaidi, who is mediating the talks, said that the two sides made “significant progress” in the high-stakes talks and agreed to meet next week in Vienna to discuss technical details.

Al-Busaidi is set to meet Vice President JD Vance and other US officials in Washington on Friday (Feb 27). Earlier, Vance downplayed the possibility of the US entering a prolonged war with Iran despite tensions between the two nations.

Earlier this week, Trump suggested that Iran wants to make a deal more than the US, but Tehran’s refusal to commit to not developing nuclear weapons has resulted in soaring tensions.

“They [Iran] want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: We will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in his State of the Union address on Tuesday (Feb 24).

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror — which they are by far — to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen,” he added.

Trump made the remarks just hours after Araghchi posted on X, “Iran will under no circumstances develop a nuclear weapon.”