TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his negotiating team left Tehran for Geneva on Wednesday, state TV reported ahead of a third round of talks with the US.&nbsp;Washington and Tehran have already held two rounds of Oman-mediated talks aimed at reaching a deal on Iran&#39;s nuclear program.&nbsp;The US has repeatedly called for zero uranium enrichment by Iran but has also sought to address its ballistic missile program and support for militant groups in the region, demands Iran has rejected.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said once again that Iran would never be allowed to build a nuclear weapon, saying Tehran&#39;s leaders were &quot;at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions&quot;.&nbsp;Iran has repeatedly denied it is seeking a bomb but insists it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.&nbsp;Trump, who has ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement, has deployed a significant naval force to the Middle East.&nbsp;Iran, for its part, has conducted several rounds of military drills in recent days, including in the country&#39;s south and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

Asia

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Geneva for a third round of Oman-mediated nuclear talks with the US. Washington demands zero uranium enrichment and curbs on missiles, while Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and defends peaceful nuclear rights.

Iran's top diplomat leaves for Geneva for talks with US

GENEVA: Iran said Monday that the US position on Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear program had &ldquo;moved towards a more realistic one&rdquo; ahead of a second&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/swiss-say-oman-to-host-usiran-talks-in-geneva-next-week" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">round of talks</a>, as Iranian and US officials prepared to meet amid rising regional tensions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that, based on discussions held in Muscat, &ldquo;at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,&rdquo; according to the official IRNA news agency. He said Iran&rsquo;s &ldquo;inalienable rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty were recognized,&rdquo; including the peaceful use of nuclear energy and enrichment. Iran&rsquo;s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Geneva at the head of a diplomatic and expert delegation for what Tehran described as &ldquo;indirect&rdquo; talks with the United States mediated by Oman. Iran&rsquo;s state-run IRIB said the second round of negotiations would take place on Tuesday. Araghchi said on X that he met with International Atomic Energy Agency (<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-cooperation-with-iaea-suspended-after-european-move-on-un-sanctions" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">IAEA</a>) chief Rafael Grossi in Geneva for a &ldquo;deep technical discussion.&rdquo; Grossi confirmed the meeting, calling it &ldquo;in-depth&rdquo; ahead of Tuesday&rsquo;s negotiations. Araghchi is also set to meet Swiss and Omani counterparts and other international officials, Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry said. &ldquo;I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats,&rdquo; he wrote on X. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re hopeful there&rsquo;s a deal,&rdquo; adding that President Donald Trump &ldquo;always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes.&rdquo; The White House said Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&rsquo;s son-in-law Jared Kushner were dispatched for the talks. Tehran and Washington restarted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-fm-looks-to-more-nuclear-talks-but-warns-us" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations</a>&nbsp;this month after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in June, triggering a 12-day war during which Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Key sticking points include Iran&rsquo;s stockpile of enriched uranium, which had reached 60% purity before the war. More than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium were last seen by nuclear watchdog inspectors in June. Iran has said the material remains under the rubble of nuclear sites struck during the conflict. Washington has repeatedly called on Tehran to reduce its enriched uranium stockpile to zero. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any deal must involve removing all enriched uranium from Iran and ending its enrichment capability. Israel has called for Iran to have &ldquo;no enrichment capability&rdquo; and for all enriched material to be transferred abroad. Iran insists on its right to enrichment but has said it is prepared to dilute its highly enriched uranium if all sanctions are lifted. Dilution involves blending enriched uranium with other material to lower its concentration below a specified threshold. Baqaei said Iran would press for the lifting of long-standing US sanctions that have deepened the country&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-nuclear-deal-officially-ends-as-un-sanctions-return" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">economic crisis</a>. &ldquo;Time is of the essence for us. Our people are under the pressure of oppressive sanctions, and reason and logic demand that we lift these sanctions as soon as possible,&rdquo; he said. Iran&rsquo;s deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifts sanctions. &ldquo;If we see the sincerity on their part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,&rdquo; he said. Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said Tehran was seeking a deal that would generate economic benefits for both countries, particularly in aviation, mining, and oil and gas sectors. &ldquo;For the agreement to be viable, it is essential that the United States also be able to benefit from it in areas with strong and rapid economic return potential,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. The talks come as Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards began military drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. State television said the exercises aim to prepare for &ldquo;potential security and military threats.&rdquo; Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the Strait, through which about 20% of global oil passes. Tensions have escalated after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier group to the Gulf following nationwide protests in Iran. Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Tehran, first over the reported crackdown on the protests, and more recently, over the nuclear program. On Friday, he said a change of government in Iran would be the &ldquo;best thing that could happen.&rdquo; Demonstrations against Iran&rsquo;s clerical authorities were held in several cities abroad over the weekend, including in the United States. Inside Iran, protesters have continued to shout slogans against authorities despite the crackdown. Switzerland has represented US interests in Iran since Washington broke off relations following the 1980 hostage crisis, a year after the Iranian revolution.

Iran says Washington’s approach to its nuclear program has shifted in a more realistic direction ahead of fresh talks, according to foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, who shared the view following discussions.

Iran says US stance on nuclear issue 'more realistic'

TEHRAN: Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi headed to Switzerland on Sunday for the second round of renewed nuclear talks with the United States later this week, his ministry said.&nbsp;Araghchi &quot;left Tehran for Geneva late Sunday, heading a diplomatic and technical delegation to conduct the second round of nuclear talks and hold a number of diplomatic consultations,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;Indirect Iran-US nuclear talks will be held on Tuesday with the mediation and good offices of Oman.&quot; During his visit to Geneva, Araghchi is expected to hold talks with his Swiss and Omani counterparts as well as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, and other international officials, the foreign ministry statement said.&nbsp;Tehran and Washington restarted nuclear negotiations in Muscat on February 6, months after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June that started a 12-day war.&nbsp;The latest talks came with Washington having threatened Tehran with military action and deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region following Iran&#39;s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests last month.&nbsp;On Feb. 6, Araghchi led the Iranian delegation in indirect nuclear talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump&#39;s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner in Muscat.&nbsp;Switzerland has played a key role in diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States for decades.&nbsp;It has represented US interests in Iran since Washington broke off relations with Tehran after the 1980 hostage crisis, a year after the Iranian revolution.

Europe

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is leading a diplomatic and technical delegation for the second round of indirect nuclear talks with the US on Tuesday, mediated by Oman.

Iran FM heads to Geneva for second round of nuclear talks with US

Web Desk

&nbsp;ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday confirmed its participation in the Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Feb. 19, during the weekly Foreign Office media briefing. Speaking at the briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed Islamabad&rsquo;s decision to take part in the upcoming Gaza Board of Peace meeting, which will be attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. &ldquo;We confirm Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s participation in the Board of Peace meeting in Washington, United States,&rdquo; he added. He said that Pakistan&rsquo;s decision to join the meeting reflects its &ldquo;sincere intent&rdquo; to support diplomatic efforts and contribute toward regional peace initiatives. The spokesperson added that the &ldquo;collective voice&rdquo; of eight Muslim countries is &ldquo;resonating&rdquo; in the Board of Peace. He said Pakistan will continue to strive for the &ldquo;rights, peace and prosperity&rdquo; of the Palestinian people, aimed at achieving a long-term solution to the Palestine issue through the creation of an independent Palestinian state. &ldquo;Our engagement is aimed at short-term, medium-term, and long-term solutions to the plight of the Palestinian people,&rdquo; he added. National Control Lists updated for items requiring an export licenseTalking about the Export Control on Goods, Technologies, Materials, and Equipment Related to the Nuclear and Biological Weapons and Their Delivery Systems Act, 2004 (SECA-2004), the spokesperson said Pakistan has notified its updated National Control Lists of items requiring an export license from the Strategic Export Control Division (SECDIV). He said the Control Lists were first issued in 2005 and were subsequently revised in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2022. &ldquo;The latest update ensures continued harmonization with the control lists maintained by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), and the Australia Group,&rdquo; he said. He added that the notification underscores the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;resolve&rdquo; to strengthen its export control regime while reaffirming its role as a &ldquo;responsible technology holder state.&rdquo; He underscored that Pakistan remains &ldquo;firmly committed&rdquo; to the objectives of non-proliferation and to fulfilling its international obligations. Iran-US talksSpeaking about talks between Tehran and Washington, the spokesperson said Pakistan &ldquo;welcomes&rdquo; the talks taking place in Oman and appreciated the &ldquo;positive statement&rdquo; by the Iranian Foreign Minister. &ldquo;We support all initiatives of dialogue and diplomacy to settle outstanding issues, including the nuclear talks you referred to,&rdquo; he said, responding to a question. Andrabi stated that the negotiations were initially supposed to be held on a &ldquo;large scale in Istanbul.&rdquo; However, the scope of the negotiations was later scaled down, he added. &ldquo;As regards Pakistan&rsquo;s participation, initially these talks were to be held in Istanbul, where the format was broader. In that broader format, Pakistan was invited. Later, the format narrowed down to three sides &mdash; Iran and the United States, facilitated by Oman,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;However, we still welcome these talks,&rdquo; he said. The spokesperson expressed hope that the parties would carry forward optimism and positivity during the talks. He also encouraged the relevant parties to adopt the most direct negotiation framework possible.

Foreign Affairs

During the weekly Foreign Office media briefing, spokesperson Tahir Andrabi spoke on a range of issues, saying that Pakistan reaffirms its support for Palestinian statehood, the updated export control lists, and welcomes Iran-US talks in Oman.

Pakistan confirms participation in Board of Peace meeting

Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will participate in upcoming talks between Iran and the United States aimed at easing escalating tensions, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday.&nbsp;In a statement to Pakistan TV Digital, a Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan has been invited to take part in the Iran-US engagement and will be &ldquo;taken on board during the talks.&rdquo;&nbsp;Relations between Tehran and Washington have sharply deteriorated in recent weeks, following anti-government protests in Iran and a subsequent security crackdown. US President Donald Trump has warned of possible military action if tensions continue to escalate.&nbsp;The United States has also reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier group, amid growing concerns over regional stability.&nbsp;Publicly addressing the situation, Trump said he remained open to diplomacy but issued a warning if talks fail. &ldquo;I hope we&rsquo;re going to work something out,&rdquo; he said, adding that &ldquo;bad things would happen&rdquo; if no agreement is reached.&nbsp;Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran supports negotiations under clear conditions. &ldquo;I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists, one free from threats and unreasonable expectations, to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,&rdquo; he said in a post on X.&nbsp;He added that the diplomatic effort was initiated following requests &ldquo;from friendly governments,&rdquo; underscoring Iran&rsquo;s stated preference for dialogue while maintaining it would respond decisively to any aggression.&nbsp;Pakistan has traditionally positioned itself as a proponent of regional diplomacy and de-escalation, particularly in matters affecting Middle East stability.

Pakistan will participate in upcoming talks between Iran and the United States aimed at easing escalating tensions, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday

Articles tagged with "Iran-US talks"

Iran's top diplomat leaves for Geneva for talks with US

Iran says US stance on nuclear issue 'more realistic'

Iran FM heads to Geneva for second round of nuclear talks with US

Pakistan confirms participation in Board of Peace meeting

Pakistan joins Iran-US talks as tensions rise: Foreign Office