Geneva, Switzerland. Iran’s foreign minister met the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief on Monday ahead of talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at resolving a decades-long nuclear dispute. The meeting came amid a U.S. military buildup and few clear signs of compromise from either side.
Military deployments and regional tensions
Washington, which joined Israel in a wave of air strikes on Iran in June, has ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East in the latest standoff with Tehran, in addition to other U.S. warships and aircraft that have already been deployed.
Iran began a military drill on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, described as a vital international waterway and an oil export route from Gulf Arab states, who have been appealing for diplomacy to end the dispute.
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program
The U.S. and Iran renewed negotiations earlier this month in an effort to address the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, which Washington, other Western states and Israel believe is aimed at building nuclear arms. Tehran denies this.
Dispute over expanding the scope of talks
Washington has sought to expand the scope of talks to non-nuclear issues such as Iran’s missile stockpile. Tehran says it is only willing to discuss curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief and will not accept zero uranium enrichment, and says its missile capabilities are not negotiable.
Statements from U.S. and Iranian officials
Speaking during a visit to Hungary on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reaching a deal with Tehran would be hard.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he was in Geneva to “achieve a fair and equitable deal,” and wrote on X: “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”
What compromises, if any, do you expect from the United States and Iran in the upcoming talks?