FILE - Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. AFP
“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X, adding that “surrender under threat is not on the table” in the negotiations.
He said he would meet International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on Monday in Geneva, accompanied by nuclear experts. He will also hold talks with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi ahead of Tuesday’s engagement with the United States.
Earlier in the day, Araghchi arrived in Geneva at the head of a diplomatic and technical delegation for the second round of nuclear negotiations and further consultations, according to Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry said he would also meet his Swiss counterpart and other officials during the visit.
Meanwhile, the White House confirmed Sunday that US President Donald Trump’s top envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to Geneva this week for talks with Iranian negotiators over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Tehran and Washington resumed negotiations in Muscat on 6 February, months after previous talks collapsed following Israel’s unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June, which triggered a 12-day war. The United States later joined the conflict, carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran said the Geneva talks will be “indirect,” as was the previous round in Oman.
Tehran says it is prepared to allow inspections and verification of its nuclear programme but insists on its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
In a BBC interview published on Sunday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said Tehran is willing to compromise on its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions, which have severely affected the Iranian economy.
He said Iran could dilute its highly enriched uranium as part of a broader agreement, provided Washington removes the sanctions.
Iranian officials stressed that the current negotiations with Washington are limited to the nuclear file. Tehran has repeatedly ruled out any discussion of its missile programme, describing it as a purely defensive matter and therefore non-negotiable.
After the first round of talks in Muscat, US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were “going very well.”
Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, Trump emphasized that talks with Tehran must continue.
However, Trump has maintained a firm tone, warning in previous statements that “bad things” would happen if no agreement is reached, while continuing to bolster the US military presence in the Gulf.
In an interview with Fox Business, Trump said a “good deal” with Iran would mean “no nuclear weapons, no missiles.”
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