US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva: From Trump’s warnings to Khemeni’s rebuttal - here’s how we reach here

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States began a fresh round of talks on Tuesday (Feb 17) in Geneva amid the diplomatic tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaee, told the Iranian media that the meeting began with representatives from both nations, with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi being the mediator. He said that the main focus of the talks was nuclear-related issues.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran was seeking to “achieve a fair and equitable deal”. Moreover, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that the US President Donald Trump recently mentioned that the US has not been able to destroy Iran for the last 47 years. “He has complained to his own people. This is a good confession. You will not be able to do this either," he added.

Parts of Strait of Hormuz closed?

As the talks began, it was reported by the Iranian media that parts of the Strait of Hormuz will likely be closed for a few hours due to “security precautions” for shipping safety, as the Revolutionary Guard conduct military drills in the waterway.

A day earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy began a military exercise in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The drill was named “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz," and was reported to be led by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It was also reported that IRGC's Commander-in-Chief Major General Mohammad Pakpour, was supervising the process. The exercise aimed to assess the readiness of operational units, review security plans, and rehearse scenarios for a military response to potential security threats.

‘It’s going to be traumatic’

US President Donald Trump, on Thursday (Feb 12), warned Iran, saying that if the Islamic Republic fails to reach an agreement with America, then it will lead to a “very traumatic” outcome for Tehran. “With Iran, we have to make a deal, otherwise it's going to be very traumatic, very traumatic,” Trump said in remarks at the White House. He added, “They should have made a deal the first time, and they got Midnight Hammer instead.”

Earlier, after meeting with Netayhau, the American president, via a social media post, warned Tehran that there would be consequences if no deal was signed. "I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that it will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Netanyahu on US-Iran talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump on February 12. Before onboarding the flight, he said that the Iranians could be forced to accept “a good deal", but he is sceptical about it. “I have just concluded a short but important visit to Washington, during which I spoke with our great friend, President Trump,” Netanyahu said on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, adding: “We have a close, genuine, and open relationship.”

“The president believes the Iranians already understand who they are dealing with. I think the conditions he (Trump) is setting, combined with their understanding that they made a mistake last time by not reaching an agreement, could lead them to accept terms that would make it possible to achieve a good deal," he further said.

Tehran's ballistic missiles in nuke talks

Trump, in an interview on February 10, said that it was a "no-brainer" that any deal with Iran would include its nuclear programme. Still, he also thought it would be possible to address Iran's ballistic missile stockpiles. When questioned about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's take on the upcoming talks, Trump said he doesn't think Netanyahu is nervous about the US-Iran negotiations. "He also wants a deal. He wants a good deal."

Reacting to this, a senior advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that the Tehran negotiators have no authority to discuss missile capability in the meeting. Ali Shamkhani, who was recently appointed as the Secretary of the Supreme Defence Council, added that war with America would not be limited to the two sides and would extend in the region.

Moreover, Araghchi said that Tehran's missile programme was not open to negotiation and would not be included in any talks. “No one can make the slightest encroachment on our missiles. Our missiles are not a subject of negotiation and will not be,” he said.