The United States and Iran signaled meaningful movement on Thursday in negotiations aimed at resolving their long-running nuclear standoff and preventing potential American military action, with mediator Oman pointing to tangible progress even as Washington continues a major force buildup in the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television that the discussions “made very good progress and entered into the elements of an agreement very seriously, both in the nuclear field and in the sanctions field.”
He indicated that another round of talks could be held in “perhaps less than a week,” and said technical-level meetings at the UN’s nuclear agency are expected to begin in Vienna on Monday.
A US official characterized the atmosphere of the negotiations to Axios as “positive.”
Those optimistic descriptions stood in contrast to earlier accounts suggesting American frustration with Tehran’s stance, as well as anonymous comments from senior Israeli officials to Hebrew-language media asserting that the divide between the parties appeared to be widening and that the prospect of a US strike was increasing.
At the same time, The Wall Street Journal offered a more cautious interpretation Thursday evening, reporting that the two sides remained “still far apart on key issues.”
The reason for the differing portrayals was not immediately evident.
Following the conclusion of the meetings in Switzerland, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi wrote on X that both delegations intend to reconvene after consultations in their respective capitals, with expert-level sessions slated for Vienna next week.
Albusaidi’s remarks came after indirect negotiations in Geneva between Araghchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with one round held in the morning and another in the afternoon.
“We have finished the day after significant progress in the negotiation between the United States and Iran,” Badr Albusaidi said.
Araghchi, describing the exchange as among the most substantive contacts between Tehran and Washington in recent years, told Iranian state television: “We reached agreement on some issues, and there are differences regarding some other issues.”
“It was decided that the next round of negotiations will take place soon, in less than a week,” he said, adding that Tehran had made clear its demand for relief from sanctions.
The US negotiating team did not immediately issue a public statement on the outcome.
Axios had earlier reported that Witkoff and Kushner were “disappointed” with Iran’s posture after the morning session, but by day’s end, a source told the outlet that the overall tenor was “positive.”
According to Axios and other reports, the talks — facilitated by Albusaidi and attended by UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi — extended for several hours and involved a mix of direct and indirect communication.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Iran proposed limiting uranium enrichment to medical purposes, halting broader nuclear activity for a set period, and later resuming enrichment under a regulated regional framework.
The US position, according to the same report, calls for an agreement with no expiration date.
Channel 12 further reported that Washington would allow low-level enrichment at a research reactor in Tehran but is demanding the dismantling of Iran’s other nuclear facilities and the removal of all enriched uranium from the country.
That description of American demands closely aligned with The Wall Street Journal’s account.
The renewed diplomatic push comes amid mounting anxiety over a possible regional escalation. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that failure to secure a deal could trigger military action, and US forces have been deployed in significant numbers to nearby waters.
The decision to set another negotiating session suggests that both sides see sufficient progress to continue talks, potentially delaying previously threatened strikes. However, a similar round of discussions scheduled by Omani mediators in June 2025 never occurred after Jerusalem, with American backing, initiated operations targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
Thursday’s meetings marked the third round of US-Iran nuclear discussions in recent weeks.
The delegations first met for roughly three hours before breaking. During the initial session, Iranian representatives presented a draft framework for an agreement, Axios reported.
During the recess, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state television that “both delegations needed to carry out consultations with their respective capitals.”
An Iranian official speaking to Al Jazeera during the pause said Tehran’s negotiators had rejected demands for complete dismantlement of the nuclear program and the export of all enriched uranium.
“Our proposal in Geneva is politically serious, technically creative, and includes everything required to reach an agreement immediately,” the Iranian official told the Qatari network.
Iran, which denies pursuing nuclear weapons but has enriched uranium to levels exceeding civilian requirements and limited inspections of its facilities, has consistently opposed calls to end enrichment altogether.
Tehran has also insisted that discussions be confined to its nuclear activities and sanctions relief. The United States, however, has sought to broaden the agenda to include Iran’s ballistic missile development and its backing of armed groups across the region.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters before the talks that progress toward a framework agreement would be possible if Washington separated “nuclear and non-nuclear issues,” though he cautioned that significant gaps would still need to be addressed during this third round.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran’s unwillingness to negotiate over its missile program presents a “big problem” that ultimately must be resolved. The missiles, he said, were “designed solely to strike America” and threaten stability in the region.
{Matzav.com}
