GENEVA: The second round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States ended in Geneva on Tuesday afternoon, according to a report by Al Jazeera. Iran has reiterated that it is willing to discuss limits on its nuclear programme only in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, rejecting negotiations on non-nuclear issues. During this round, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, held talks with U.S. representatives through the mediation of Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. The U.S. delegation reportedly included Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. U.S. officials pushed to broaden the scope of the talks to include non-nuclear issues such as Iran’s missile stockpiles. Tehran, however, refused to accept such conditions and said it would not agree to any limits on uranium production. A day before the talks, Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and held what were described as “in-depth technical discussions” with nuclear experts. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the United States is incapable of destroying the Islamic Republic. Reports indicate that Tehran remains focused solely on curbing its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, while rejecting U.S. demands related to its missile programme and uranium production. U.S. President Donald Trump has previously said Iran “wants a deal” and that he is indirectly involved in the negotiations.
