WASHINGTON: Iran agreed in talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, mediator Oman&#39;s top diplomat said Friday, in what he called a breakthrough that he hoped would prevent war.&nbsp;Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, whose country brokered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-urges-us-to-drop-excessive-demands-to-reach-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">talks between the United States and Iran</a>&nbsp;in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved &quot;amicably and comprehensively&quot; within three months.&nbsp;&quot;If the ultimate objective is to ensure forever that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, I think we have cracked that problem through these negotiations by agreeing on a very important breakthrough that has never been achieved any time before,&quot; Albusaidi told the CBS News program &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;I think if we can capture that and build on it, I think a deal is within our reach,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The minister added that Iran would not be able to stockpile enriched uranium and that there would be verification.&nbsp;He said Iran would also degrade its current stockpiles to &quot;the lowest level possible&quot; so that it is &quot;converted into fuel, and that fuel will be irreversible.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;This is something completely new. It really makes the enrichment argument less relevant, because now we are talking about zero stockpiling,&quot; said Albusaidi, who met earlier Friday with US Vice President JD Vance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-not-thrilled-with-iran-but-undecided-on-attack" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">President Donald Trump&#39;s administration</a>&nbsp;accuses Tehran of intending to build a nuclear weapon. But &quot;if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb,&quot; Albusaidi told CBS.&nbsp;In a 2015 agreement negotiated by former president Barack Obama, Iran agreed to keep enrichment only to a low level that is well below weapons grade.&nbsp;Trump ripped up the deal in his first term and imposed sanctions, and in recent weeks has deployed the US military in the region to levels not seen in years.&nbsp;Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that any deal cover not just the nuclear program but also Iran&#39;s missiles.&nbsp;Asked about the missile issue, Albusaidi said: &quot;I believe Iran is open to discussing everything.&quot;

A handout picture provided by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on February 26, 2026, shows Iranian diplomats and a delegation during the Iran-US talks in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: AFP/File)

Middle East

Its foreign minister says talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved 'amicably and comprehensively' within three months.


Iran agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium: mediator Oman

PARIS: Iran&#39;s foreign minister announced Tuesday that a deal to prevent a military conflict with the United States is within reach, just two days before <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-president-says-recent-talks-with-us-show-encouraging-signals" target="_blank">talks</a>&nbsp;between the rivals are set to resume in Geneva. Abbas Araghchi&#39;s appeal came as Iran issued a muted warning to student protesters against the backdrop of mounting US threats of action to halt Tehran&#39;s nuclear program. &quot;We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests,&quot; Araghchi said in a social media post. The minister added that a deal was &quot;within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.&quot; Tehran and Washington are due to hold a third round of negotiations on Thursday in Geneva, the latest since talks resumed earlier this month. The talks will be held following a heavy US military deployment in the region in <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-denies-top-us-officer-warned-of-iran-strike-risks" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">recent weeks</a> and threats by President Donald Trump of a strike on Iran if no deal is reached. Iran has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-would-respond-ferociously-to-any-us-attack-even-limited-strikes" target="_blank">repeatedly</a>&nbsp;said it would respond firmly to any attack, and on Monday, the foreign ministry warned that any strike, even a limited one, &quot;would be regarded as an act of aggression.&quot; In his post on Tuesday, Araghchi vowed Iran will &quot;under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,&quot; but insisted on the country&#39;s right to &quot;harness dividends of peaceful nuclear technology.&quot; &quot;We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage,&quot; he added. Iran and the US held five rounds of nuclear talks last year, but those negotiations were brought to an end with Israel&#39;s unprecedented attack on Iran, which triggered a 12-day war. &#39;Red lines&#39; protest warning&nbsp;Meanwhile, university students in Tehran kicked off a new semester with gatherings that revived slogans from nationwide protests against the country&#39;s leadership. On Tuesday, the fourth consecutive day of the campus protests, videos verified by AFP showed two groups facing off in a large hall at a Tehran university before scuffles broke out. Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani, giving the first official reaction to the rallies, said that while students had a right to protest, they must &quot;understand the red lines.&quot; US military build-up&nbsp;The initial wave of protests began in December, sparked by economic woes in the sanctions-hit country, but soon grew into nationwide demonstrations that crested on Jan. 8 and 9, posing one of the biggest challenges to Iran&#39;s leaders in years. The unrest prompted a government crackdown that resulted in the death of several people. Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by &quot;terrorist acts&quot; fueled by the United States and Israel. The crackdown in January prompted Trump to threaten to intervene militarily on the protesters&#39; behalf, though the focus of his threats soon shifted to Iran&#39;s nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at building an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. Since then, the US has carried out a massive military build-up in the Middle East aimed at pressuring Tehran into cutting a deal, even as the two sides pursue indirect negotiations. Washington deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea, and another, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has arrived at a US base in Crete en route to the region.

Americas

Foreign Minister Araghchi says have a “historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns”; Tehran and Washington are due to hold a third round of negotiations on Thursday in Geneva, the latest since talks resumed earlier this month.

Iran says deal 'within reach' ahead of US talks

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Monday denied reports that the top US military officer had flagged the risks of a major operation against Iran, saying Washington would &quot;easily&quot; beat Tehran in any war. US media reported that General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had warned of various risks associated with strikes against Iran, including a long-term entanglement. But Trump said on his Truth Social network that it was &quot;100% incorrect&quot; that Caine was &quot;against us going to war with Iran.&quot; &quot;General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,&quot; Trump wrote. &quot;He has not spoken of not doing Iran, or even the fake limited strikes that I have been reading about; he only knows one thing, how to WIN, and, if he is told to do so, he will be leading the pack.&quot; The Washington Post said Caine had expressed concern at the White House and Pentagon that munition shortages and a lack of allied support could increase danger to US personnel. And the Wall Street Journal said both the top general and other Pentagon officials have warned of risks such as US and allied casualties as well as the danger of US air defenses being depleted if its forces strike Iran. The Axios news outlet meanwhile, said Caine had warned of the United States &quot;becoming entangled in a prolonged conflict.&quot; Trump&#39;s roving negotiator Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had also been urging the president to hold off attacks and give diplomacy a chance, Axios said. The US president, however, accused the media outlets of writing &quot;incorrectly, and purposefully so.&quot; &quot;I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don&rsquo;t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people,&quot; Trump added. Trump, who ordered strikes on Iran&#39;s nuclear facilities last year, has repeatedly threatened Tehran with further military action if ongoing talks do not reach a replacement for the nuclear deal the US president tore up in 2018, during his first term in office. Washington has deployed a massive military force to the Middle East, sending two aircraft carriers as well as more than a dozen other ships, a large number of warplanes and other assets to the region. But negotiations are still set to continue, with a US official saying the next round of talks with Tehran would take place on Thursday.

US president says "100% incorrect" that Caine was "against us going to war with Iran"; Washington has deployed a massive military force to the Middle East, sending two aircraft carriers as well as more than a dozen other ships, a large number of warplanes, and other assets to the region.

Trump denies top US officer warned of Iran strike risks

Web Desk

TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that recent talks between Iran and the United States had produced &ldquo;encouraging signals,&rdquo; but stressed that Tehran remains prepared for any possible scenario.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. Recent negotiations included the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor US actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario,&rdquo; Pezeshkian wrote on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 320px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2025631856285057217&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=7bf5e8c4d6cf2c3dac0caee1fbff48c1f0da1814&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Iran and the United States have held two rounds of talks this month focused on Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions on the Islamic republic.&nbsp;The discussions, held in Oman on Feb. 6 and in Switzerland on Feb. 17, marked the first such engagement since the 12-day war launched by Israel in June last year, which the United States later joined.&nbsp;Amid the negotiations, Washington has deployed aircraft carriers and other military assets to the region, while warning Tehran of possible military action.&nbsp;Earlier, Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranus-talks-expected-thursday-despite-fears-of-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">likely to meet US Special Envoy</a> Steve Witkoff in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday for a new round of negotiations. Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said details of a possible deal were being drawn up ahead of the renewed talks on Tehran&#39;s nuclear program, after Washington&#39;s envoy Steve Witkoff had publicly wondered why Tehran had not yet &quot;capitulated.&quot; Badr Albusaidi, foreign minister of regional mediator Oman, said talks would resume on Thursday in Geneva &quot;with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal.&quot; US threats of military action have multiplied since a nationwide protest movement in Iran sparked a crackdown that rights groups say killed thousands. On Sunday, Iranian students held competing pro- and anti-government protests, with critics of the clerical leadership risking arrest or worse if they are caught. &quot;If the US attacks us, then we have every&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/fm-says-iran-has-right-to-selfdefence-if-us-attacks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">right to defend ourselves</a>,&quot; Araghchi said, alluding to American interests in the region as potential targets. Still, he said, &quot;there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution.&quot;

Says the country continues to monitor US actions closely and has made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario.

Iranian president says recent talks with US show encouraging signals

PARIS: Iran plans to submit a draft nuclear proposal following recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-us-hold-new-geneva-talks-as-khamenei-warns-of-sinking-us-warship" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">negotiations in Geneva</a>, as the United States increases its military presence in the region. US President Donald Trump sent the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-located-near-iran-as-washington-increases-military-pressure" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">aircraft</a> carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region, while a second, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is en route via the Mediterranean.&nbsp;The US has also redeployed dozens of other warplanes to the Middle East, where it maintains several bases, while boosting its air defenses. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/d266b201-8c85-4f2b-bf24-516b956cabd7-AFP__20260220__98DC7YG__v7__MidRes__SpainUsIranMilitaryDefenceConflictDiplomacy.jpg" alt="This handout image released and taken by David Parody on February 20, 2026, shows the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford heading through the Strait of Gibraltar as seen from Gibraltar. (AFP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">This handout image released and taken by David Parody on February 20, 2026, shows the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford heading through the Strait of Gibraltar as seen from Gibraltar. (AFP)</figcaption></figure> The build-up seeks to pressure Iran&#39;s authorities as the two sides pursue nuclear talks. Iranian Foreign Minister&nbsp;Abbas Araghchi&nbsp;told US media this week that, following the latest round of negotiations in Geneva, Iran would submit a draft agreement proposal, which would be released in a matter of days. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-fm-araghchi-in-geneva-for-second-round-of-us-talks" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Araghchi</a> also said the &quot;US side has not asked for zero enrichment&quot; of uranium, contradicting statements from American officials. Iran denies it is trying to produce nuclear weapons, but insists on its right to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-defies-us-threats-to-insist-on-right-to-enrich-uranium" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">enrich uranium</a> for civilian purposes. The US media outlet Axios reported this week, citing an unnamed senior US official, that Washington was prepared to consider a proposed deal that would permit only &quot;small, token enrichment.&quot; Trump has suggested that &quot;bad things&quot; will happen if Tehran does not strike a deal, saying Thursday that it had 15 days to agree. Fears of a conflict have prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran, including Sweden, Serbia, Poland, and Australia, which warned, &quot;Commercial flights are currently available, but this could change quickly.&quot; A previous round of nuclear diplomacy last year was interrupted by Israel&#39;s surprise bombing campaign against the Middle Eastern nation. The United States ultimately joined its ally, striking nuclear facilities before declaring a ceasefire. Iran has maintained that it will defend itself in the event of any new attack. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in remarks to athletes carried by state television, said the country would &quot;not yield to any trial, even if the powers of the world stand against us with injustice and try to force us into submission.&quot;

A woman walks near a banner depicting Iran's late and current supreme leaders (R to L) Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along a main street in Tehran on February 21, 2026. (AFP)

The US has deployed aircraft carriers and warplanes to pressure Iran during nuclear talks. Tehran insists on its right to civilian uranium enrichment.

Iran to submit draft nuclear proposal as US military presence grows

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran must make a &quot;meaningful deal&quot; in negotiations with Washington in the next 10 days or else &quot;bad things happen,&quot; as he deployed warships, fighter jets, and other military hardware to the region. &quot;It&#39;s proven to be over the years not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise, bad things happen,&quot; Trump told the inaugural meeting of the &quot;Board of Peace&quot;, his initiative to secure stability in Gaza. He warned that Washington &quot;may have to take it a step further&quot; without any agreement, adding: &quot;You&#39;re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.&quot; Trump&#39;s comments came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own warning to Iran, saying, &quot;If the ayatollahs make a mistake and attack us, they will receive a response they cannot even imagine.&quot; The warnings were issued days after the US and Iran held a second round of Omani-mediated talks, this time in Geneva, with the US seeking to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, something it says it is not pursuing, and Iran seeking relief from US sanctions. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Wednesday that there were &quot;many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran.&quot; &quot;Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump.&quot; Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, at first over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month, then more recently over its nuclear program. Iran&#39;s atomic energy chief on Thursday said &quot;no country can deprive Iran of the right&quot; to nuclear enrichment, following fresh US warnings that there were &quot;many reasons&quot; to strike the Islamic republic. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. &#39;Do not want war&#39;&nbsp;CNN and CBS reported on Wednesday that the US military would be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet. The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported that Trump had been briefed on his military options with &quot;all of them designed to maximise damage,&quot; including a campaign to &quot;kill scores of Iranian political and military leaders, with the goal of overthrowing the government,&quot; unnamed US officials told the newspaper. Iran&#39;s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after the latest talks that Tehran had agreed with Washington on &quot;guiding principles&quot;, but US Vice President JD Vance said Iran had not yet acknowledged all of Washington&#39;s red lines. Speaking on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted &quot;We do not want war&quot; but suggested Tehran could not give in to US demands. Amid the escalating warnings, Poland on Thursday ordered all its citizens in Iran to &quot;leave immediately&quot;. Germany meanwhile moved troops out of northern Iraq, reducing its footprint to the minimum necessary to keep its base there functional, citing regional tensions. Russia called for restraint, with a Kremlin spokesperson saying, &quot;We are currently witnessing an unprecedented escalation of tension in the region, but we still hope that political and diplomatic means and negotiations will continue to prevail in the search for a settlement&quot;. Displays of military might&nbsp;Iran has insisted that the talks with the US be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for Tehran&#39;s ballistic missiles program and support for armed groups in the region to be on the table. The US has meanwhile been building up its military forces near Iran, including warships, fighter jets, and refuelling aircraft, laying the foundation for a potentially sustained campaign against Iran &mdash; should Trump give the order. Washington has ordered a second aircraft carrier to the region, with the first, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its nearly 80 aircraft, positioned about 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, satellite images showed. Iran has sought to display its own military might, with its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps holding war games earlier this week in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the Strait, a major global conduit for oil and gas, with fears of a US-Iran conflict sending oil prices surging this week. The strait carries a quarter of the world&#39;s seaborne oil and a fifth of all liquified natural gas, according to the International Energy Agency.

US president warns Washington "may have to take it a step further" without any agreement, adds "going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days"; Iran's atomic energy chief says "no country can deprive Iran of the right" to nuclear enrichment.



Trump issues Iran with ultimatum as US ramps up military presence

WASHINGTON: The White House warned on Wednesday that Iran would be &quot;wise&quot; to do a deal with the United States as President Donald Trump once again hinted at military action. The two sides recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over a crackdown on protesters last month. A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. &quot;Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his administration,&quot; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. On Wednesday, Trump again suggested the United States might strike Iran in a post on his Truth Social site, with a US military buildup underway in the Middle East. He warned Britain against giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, saying that the archipelago&#39;s Diego Garcia airbase might be needed were Iran not to agree a deal, &quot;in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime.&quot; Earlier on Wednesday, Tehran&#39;s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said Iran was &quot;drafting&quot; a framework for future talks with the US. Iran and the US held a second round of Oman-mediated negotiations on Tuesday in Geneva. Araghchi said then that Tehran had agreed with Washington on &quot;guiding principles,&quot; but US Vice President JD Vance said Iran had not yet acknowledged all of Washington&#39;s red lines. &#39;Do not want war&#39; Speaking on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted &quot;we do not want war&quot; but suggested Tehran could not give in to US demands. &quot;From the day I took office, I have believed that war must be set aside. But if they are going to try to impose their will on us, humiliate us, and demand that we bow our heads at any cost, should we accept that?&quot; Earlier on Wednesday, Araghchi held a phone call with Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. In the call, the Iranian foreign minister &quot;stressed the Islamic Republic of Iran&#39;s focus on drafting an initial and coherent framework to advance future talks,&quot; according to a statement from his ministry. Tehran has suspended some cooperation with the IAEA and restricted the watchdog&#39;s inspectors from accessing sites bombed by Israel and the United States, accusing the UN body of bias and of failing to condemn the strikes. Meanwhile, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that Washington would deter Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons &quot;one way or the other&quot;. &quot;They&#39;ve been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It&#39;s entirely unacceptable,&quot; Wright told reporters in Paris on the sidelines of meetings of the International Energy Agency. Displays of military might The Omani-mediated talks were aimed at averting the possibility of US military action, while Tehran is demanding the lifting of US sanctions that are crippling its economy. Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for Tehran&#39;s ballistic missiles program and support for armed groups in the region to be on the table. While talks have resumed, the US has also been building up its military forces near Iran. Washington has ordered a second aircraft carrier to the region, with the first, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and its nearly 80 aircraft, positioned about 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, satellite images showed. Iran has sought to display its own military might, with its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps beginning a series of war games on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the strait, a major global conduit for oil and gas. On Tuesday, state TV reported that Tehran would close parts of the waterway for safety measures during the drills.

Iranian president insists "we do not want war" but suggests Tehran cannot give in to US demands; The two sides recently resumed indirect talks, mediated by Oman, after Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran over crackdown on protesters last month.

White House tells Iran to do deal as Trump hints at US strikes

WEST PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran of the &quot;consequences of not making a deal&quot; ahead of talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran in Geneva. &quot;I&#39;ll be involved in those talks, indirectly,&quot; the US president told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington. &quot;I don&#39;t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,&quot; Trump added. The latest talks, scheduled for Tuesday and mediated by Oman, follow repeated threats from Trump of military action against Tehran &mdash; first over Iran&#39;s crackdown on protests, and then more recently over the country&#39;s nuclear program. The United States and some European countries fear the program is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies. Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed, including Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles and support for armed groups in the Middle East. Iran&#39;s foreign ministry said earlier Monday that &quot;the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one.&quot; A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran, beginning a 12-day war that Washington joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.

 US president says he will be involved in the “talks, indirectly"; US, some European countries fear that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies.

Trump warns Iran of 'consequences of not making a deal'

Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump told Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday that talks with Iran <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/president-zardari-says-stakes-far-too-high-for-usiran-confrontation" style="color:#0073e6;">must continue</a>, rebuffing the Israeli prime minister&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/netanyahu-to-push-trump-on-iran-missiles-in-white-house-talks" style="color:#0073e6;">push</a>&nbsp;for a tougher stance against Tehran. &quot;There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated,&quot; Trump said on social media after their three-hour meeting. &quot;If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be,&quot; said Trump, adding a reminder of last year&#39;s US strikes against Iran&#39;s nuclear program. So far, Iran has rejected expanding its talks with the United States beyond the issue of its nuclear program, though Washington also wants Tehran&#39;s ballistic missile program and its support for regional fighter groups on the table. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-president-says-will-not-give-in-to-excessive-demands" style="color:#0073e6;">said</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that Tehran would &quot;not yield to excessive demands&quot; on its nuclear program. But he insisted his country was not &quot;not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.&quot; Seeking to push for the Islamic Republic&#39;s ballistic missile program to be included in any deal, Netanyahu had rushed to Washington for his seventh meeting with Trump since the US leader returned to power. Netanyahu&#39;s office said that during the talks with Trump, the Israeli premier had &quot;insisted on the security needs of the state of Israel in relation to the negotiations&quot; on Iran. The Israeli premier said as he left for Washington his talks would &quot;first and foremost&quot; be about the Iran negotiations, while adding they would also discuss Gaza and other regional issues. Trump has hinted at US military action against Iran following Tehran&#39;s deadly crackdown on protesters, but at the same time Washington and Tehran restarted talks last week with a meeting in Oman. Talks had been suspended after the US strikes on Iran&#39;s atomic sites during Israel&#39;s 12-day war with Iran last July.

So far, Iran has rejected expanding its talks with the United States beyond the issue of its nuclear program, though Washington also wants Tehran's ballistic missile program and its support for regional fighter groups on the table.



Trump tells Netanyahu Iran talks must continue

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington held &quot;very good talks&quot; on Iran after the two sides held an indirect dialogue in Oman. Iran, for its part, said it expected to hold more negotiations with the United States, hailing a &quot;positive atmosphere&quot; during a day of talks in the Gulf sultanate. With an American naval group led by an aircraft carrier in Middle Eastern waters, US and Iranian delegations held talks in Muscat mediated by Oman without publicly meeting face-to-face. Shortly after the talks concluded, the US announced new sanctions against shipping entities and vessels, aimed at curbing Iran&#39;s oil exports. But it was not clear if the move was linked to the talks. The talks were the first between the two foes since the United States joined Israel&#39;s war with Iran in June with strikes on nuclear sites. &quot;We likewise had very good talks on Iran,&quot; Trump told reporters on board Air Force One en route to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, adding, &quot;we&#39;re going to meet again early next week.&quot; However, as Iran warned against further threats after Washington raised the specter of new military action, Trump said: &quot;If they don&#39;t make a deal, the consequences are very steep.&quot; Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Iran&#39;s delegation in Muscat, said talks &quot;focused exclusively&quot; on the Iranian nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. The US delegation, led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner, had also wanted Tehran&#39;s backing for fighter groups, its ballistic missile program and treatment of protesters on the agenda. &quot;In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged, and the views of the other side were shared with us,&quot; Araghchi told Iranian state TV, adding that the two sides had &quot;agreed to continue negotiations.&quot; Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, Araghchi expressed hope that Washington would refrain from &quot;threats and pressure&quot; so that &quot;the talks can continue.&quot; &#39;Destabilizing power&#39; Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, was present at the talks, according to images published by the Oman News Agency. Multiple sessions of talks in the morning and afternoon saw both sides shuttling to and from the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi. The foreign ministry of US ally Qatar expressed hope the talks would &quot;lead to a comprehensive agreement that serves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region.&quot; The White House has made clear it wants the talks to rein in Tehran&#39;s ability to make a nuclear bomb, an ambition the Islamic Republic has always denied. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday that Iran should stop being a &quot;destabilizing power,&quot; citing its nuclear program and support for &quot;terrorist&quot; groups. Barrot also called on &quot;groups supported by Iran&quot; to exert &quot;the utmost restraint&quot; in the event of any military escalation involving the Islamic Republic. &#39;Maximum pressure&#39; Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters last month, which rights groups say killed thousands, and even told demonstrators, &quot;help is on its way.&quot; Regional powers, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, urged the United States not to intervene, calling on Washington and Tehran to instead return to talks. As a consequence, Trump&#39;s rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear program, and the US has maneuvered a naval group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region. Iran has repeatedly vowed it will hit back at US bases in the region if attacked. The new sanctions to curb Iran&#39;s oil exports come with Trump &quot;committed to driving down the Iranian regime&#39;s illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the administration&#39;s maximum pressure campaign,&quot; State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Iran says it expects to hold more negotiations with the US, hails a "positive atmosphere" during a day of talks in the Gulf sultanate; US announces new sanctions against shipping entities and vessels, aimed at curbing Iran's oil exports, it is not clear if the move is linked to the talks.

Articles tagged with "US Iran talks"