US and Iran resume nuclear talks in Geneva
Oman mediates third round as Washington builds Middle East force posture, Europe pays the risk premium while the US sets the terms
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US-Iran nuclear talks resume in Geneva amid missile and war threats
euronews.com
US and Iranian negotiators began a third round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday as the Trump administration continued to build up military forces in the Middle East, according to Euronews citing the Associated Press. Oman is again mediating between Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Washington is pressing for a deal that would halt Iran’s uranium enrichment entirely and broaden the agenda to include Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for regional armed groups, Euronews reports. Iran has insisted the negotiations must remain limited to nuclear issues and sanctions relief.
The talks come after a short war last June in which the United States joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites. Iran says it has not enriched uranium since that 12-day conflict, but it has also blocked International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from visiting sites hit in the strikes. Euronews reports that satellite imagery has shown activity at two of the damaged locations, suggesting efforts to assess or recover material.
US officials have framed missiles as the central obstacle. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran refuses to discuss its ballistic missile programme “to us or to anyone,” calling that a “big problem,” while also arguing that Iranian conventional missiles threaten US bases in the Gulf and shipping lanes.
The negotiating posture is being reinforced by visible force. President Donald Trump has assembled what Euronews describes as a fleet of aircraft and warships in the region to pressure Tehran into a deal, while Iranian officials have warned that US bases would be legitimate targets if Washington intervenes.
For European governments, the immediate exposure is less about the legal text of any agreement than the price of risk while talks drag on. A larger US military presence raises insurance premiums for shipping and pushes up energy risk in markets that still price Middle East disruption into gas and oil supply chains.
The third round of talks is taking place in Geneva, with Omani intermediaries shuttling proposals between the two delegations.