The Latest : US - Iran talks end in Geneva but will resume soon , Omani minister says

wsls.com · Feb 26, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Iran and the United States held talks in Geneva for a third time on Thursday as President Donald Trump seeks to delay Tehran's nuclear program while threatening it by deploying a massive number of aircraft and warships to the Middle East.U.S. special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and friend of Trump, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an effort to convince his country to halt its enrichment of uranium, a key step to building a nuclear bomb, and curtail or stop its production of long-range missiles.Recommended VideosOman’s foreign minister later said that the talks had ended in Geneva but “will resume soon.”Iran has maintained that it will continue to enrich uranium even as its program sits in ruins following a U.S. attack in June on three of its nuclear sites. If an American attack happens, Iran has said all U.S. military bases in the Mideast will considered legitimate targets and has also threatened to attack Israel.Here’s the latest:Iran’s FM describes talks with US as ‘most intense’Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said indirect talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program had been “one of our most intense and longest rounds of negotiations.”Araghchi made the comments in an interview with Iranian state television moments after the talks in Geneva ended. He offered no specifics, but said: “What needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side.”The U.S. has yet to offer a comment on the talks. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Iraqi militia threatens prolonged ‘war of attrition’Iraq’s most powerful Iran-backed militia has called for preparation of a prolonged “war of attrition” with the United States should there be a strike on Iran.“Should America proceed with igniting the spark of war in the region, it will find itself facing heavy losses that will be impossible to contain or compensate for,” Kataib Hezbollah said in a published statement, also threatening the authorities of the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq which hosts exiled dissident Kurdish Iranian groups.The statement comes as the U.S. is building up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.Kataib Hezbollah is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Shiite, Iran-backed militias that formed to fight the Islamic State extremist group as it rampaged across the country more than a decade ago.Talks in Geneva end, but ‘will resume soon’Oman’s foreign minister said that talks between the United States and Iran had ended in Geneva but “will resume soon.”Badr al-Busaidi wrote on X that there had been “significant progress in the negotiation,” without elaborating. He said technical-level talks would take place next week in Vienna, home to the International Atomic Energy Agency.There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Iranian officials.Analysts had been concerned that ending the talks without an immediate deal could spark U.S. military action against Iran.US delegation returns to resume talksA convoy carrying U.S. diplomats has arrived to resume indirect talks with Iran over its nuclear program.The cars pulled into the compound on the shores of Lake Geneva. A convoy carrying Iranian diplomats had earlier arrived.The two sides had taken a break of several hours in the talks, which kicked off earlier Thursday. The U.S. side went to a meeting with Ukrainian officials during that time as well.Iranian diplomats return to Geneva talks venue after a breakA convoy believed to be carrying Iranian diplomats has returned to an Omani diplomatic residence in Geneva hosting indirect talks with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.The convoy pulled into the compound on the shores of Lake Geneva.The two sides had taken a several-hour break in the talks. The U.S. side went to a meeting with Ukrainian officials during that time.House Democrats to force war powers vote on IranHouse Democratic leaders say they will force a vote next week on legislation requiring President Donald Trump to terminate military force against Iran unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war from Congress.Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries was joined in the announcement by several Democrats who serve as the ranking member on committees with jurisdiction.Their press release on Thursday said the Iranian government is “brutal and destabilizing,” and cited the killing of thousands of protesters.“However, undertaking a war of choice in the Middle East, without a full understanding of all the attendant risks to our servicemembers and to escalation, is reckless,” the release stated. “We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorization from Congress.”A ‘narrow pathway to a deal’The U.S. delegation’s willingness to continue talks with Iran reflects a positive atmosphere on a “decisive day” of nuclear talks, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group said.Talks are set to resume after Washington received a proposal from Tehran earlier Thursday. The meetings were behind closed doors, and details about the proposal were not disclosed.“The reality is that there is a narrow pathway to a deal but it does require both sides to soften their red lines,” Ali Vaez told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the talks.“It is important that the U.S. is coming back to the table and trying to get to the finish line,” he said, adding that a breakdown of diplomacy could result in an unpredictable war.A breakthrough remains tough between the two bitter enemies, and Vaez believes it would require a “a commensurate match between dilution of stockpile and sanctions relief.”Iran says ‘very constructive’ proposals exchanged so farIran’s foreign ministry says delegates from the country and the United States have exchanged “very constructive” proposals so far in their third round of nuclear talks in Geneva.Talks have briefly paused and are set to continue around 1630GMT Thursday as “both delegations needed to hold consultations with their respective capitals,” the ministry’s spokesperson Esmail Baghaei added.He said they discussed proposals regarding Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief, but did not provide details.Tehran and Washington’s indirect talks in the Swiss city included Oman’s foreign minister and the head of the International Atomic Agency, the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog. It is seen as a last chance for diplomacy. The U.S. has gathered a fleet of aircraft and warships to the Middle East to pressure Tehran into a deal.Omani minister says ‘creative and positive ideas’ were exchangedOman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has been mediating the negotiations, said the two sides have been exchanging “creative and positive ideas” and will resume talks after a break.Al Busaidi said he is hopeful that more progress can be made later Thursday when negotiations resume.Convoys believed to be holding the Iranian and U.S. delegations left the Omani residence in Geneva after several hours of indirect negotiations starting Thursday morning.US diplomats appear to have departed from talks venueA convoy believed to be carrying U.S. diplomats left an Omani diplomatic residence in Geneva that was hosting indirect talks with Iran over its nuclear program.Iranian state television reported Thursday that indirect talks with the United States will resume later in the day after both sides take a break.It wasn’t clear what the reason for the break was. The two sides had been having indirect talks for hours mediated by OmanBoth the Iranian and the American delegations had been at the residence for hours.Iranian advisor suggests ‘agreement is within reach’ if talks are focusedA prominent advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader has suggested that Iran could reach an immediate agreement in talks with the U.S. if they focused solely Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.“If the main issue of the negotiations is Iran’s non-development of nuclear weapons, this is consistent with the Supreme Leader’s fatwa (religious declaration) and Iran’s defense doctrine, and an immediate agreement is within reach,” Ali Shamkhani wrote on X on Thursday.He added that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has “sufficient support and authority” to come to a final agreement in the talks.Shamkhani was wounded in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran earlier this year.Oman says it presented Iran’s proposals to the USOman has presented Iran’s proposals to U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Thursday during the third round of nuclear negotiations taking place in Geneva, the Omani Foreign Ministry wrote on X.The ministry published a photo of Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi with Witkoff and Kushner, signaling indirect talks are underway. The Foreign Ministry said al-Busaidi went over the U.S. inquiries and requests regarding Iran’s nuclear program and the necessary guarantees to achieve a deal, and said the talks were continuing in a “constructive” way.Indirect talks between Iran and the US underway in GenevaOman’s Foreign Ministry published images of U.S. special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Bader al-Busaidi.The location appeared to be the Omani diplomatic residence in Geneva along the shores of Lake Geneva. An Associated Press journalist earlier saw two convoys believed to be carrying Iranian and U.S. diplomats arrive there.Iran and the U.S. are meeting in Geneva for nuclear negotiations, talks viewed as a last chance for diplomacy as America has gathered a fleet of aircraft and warships to the Middle East to pressure Tehran into a deal.Iran says talks will focus only on nuclear issueIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iran’s State TV that negotiations, as in previous rounds, will focus solely on the nuclear issue. He added that the director general of the Internati