By Paul Joseph
Officials from the United States and Iran are set to meet in Geneva on Thursday for a third round of indirect negotiations widely viewed as critical to averting potential conflict.
Donald Trump has warned that he could order strikes on Iran if a new nuclear agreement is not reached. The talks come amid the largest US military build-up in the Middle East since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, with Tehran vowing to respond forcefully to any attack.
The negotiations are seen as a last-ditch diplomatic effort to prevent escalation, though prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain.
While President Trump has said he prefers diplomacy, he has also indicated he is weighing a limited military strike to pressure Iranian leaders into accepting a deal. However, he has provided few details about specific US demands or why military action might now be necessary, eight months after the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities during a conflict between Israel and Iran.
Tehran has rejected Washington’s demand to halt uranium enrichment on its soil but has signalled a willingness to discuss potential compromises regarding its nuclear programme.
As in the previous two rounds of talks mediated earlier this month by Badr Albusaidi of Oman the Iranian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The US delegation will be headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
In recent weeks, Washington has deployed thousands of additional troops to the region, alongside what Trump described as an “armada,” including two aircraft carriers, other warships, fighter jets and refuelling aircraft.
Trump initially threatened military action last month amid Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests. Since then, attention has refocused on Iran’s nuclear activities, which have long been a source of tension between Tehran and Western powers.
For decades, the US and Israel have accused Iran of secretly pursuing nuclear weapons capability. Iran maintains that its programme is solely for peaceful civilian purposes, although it remains the only non-nuclear-armed state to have enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels.
Omani Foreign Minister Albusaidi has urged both sides to “go the extra mile towards finalising the deal,” underscoring the high stakes surrounding the Geneva talks.
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