Top diplomats of Iran, Oman meet in Geneva on eve of indirect nuclear talks with US

By Rania Abushamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met in Geneva on Monday with his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, on the eve of the second round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, the meeting aimed at finalizing coordination ahead of the official start of indirect negotiations between Iran and the US on Tuesday.

Under the announced schedule, the nuclear talks are set to begin on Tuesday morning under Omani mediation and will be hosted at the Embassy of Oman in Geneva.

Iran and the US resumed their indirect nuclear diplomacy in Muscat on Feb. 6 under Omani mediation, nearly eight months after talks were suspended following an Israeli attack on Iran that sparked a 12-day war.

Assessments from both sides were positive following the latest round of talks, which took place amid heightened tensions due to the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf region.

Uranium enrichment remains a key point of contention. Iran demands the lifting of Western economic sanctions in exchange for restricting its nuclear activities. The US, meanwhile, has called on Iran to fully halt enrichment and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad.

Washington has also sought to expand the scope of talks to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for armed groups in the region, while Tehran has repeatedly said it will negotiate only on its nuclear program.