US - Iran conflict : Tense talks in Geneva with Trump finger on the trigger

theage.com.au · Feb 26, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026 — 5:01amThe United States and Iran remain locked in talks in Geneva as US 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.US special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and friend of Trump, has 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.Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; US President Donald Trump.AP; BloombergIran has maintained that it will continue to enrich uranium even as its program sits in ruins following a US attack in June on three of its nuclear sites. However, the Trump administration made it clear ahead of the talks that the Iranian regime cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.The latest round of negotiations is the third since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran last year, and their failure could again lead to a regional war across the Middle East. If an American attack happens, Iran has said all US military bases in the Middle East will be considered legitimate targets and has also threatened to attack Israel.Talks that began on Thursday morning (Geneva time) were briefly paused as “both delegations needed to hold consultations with their respective capitals,” Iran’s foreign ministry’s spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.He added that delegates from both countries have exchanged “very constructive” proposals so far regarding Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief, but did not provide details. The indirect talks in the Swiss city include Oman’s foreign minister and the head of the International Atomic Agency, the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog.White House special envoy Steve Witkoff (centre) and Jared Kushner (right) with Oman’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaid as Iranian-American negotiations continue in Geneva, Switzerland.APIt is seen as a last chance for diplomacy, as US military assets remain poised to strike Iranian targets.However, the Democrats in the US are working to rein in Trump’s war powers in Iran, saying they will force a vote next week on legislation that will stop him from authorising military action in Iran without congressional approval.In a press release, the Democrats said the Iranian government is “brutal and destabilising,” 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 service members and to escalation, is reckless,” the release stated. “We maintain that any such action would be unconstitutional without consultation with and authorisation from Congress.”While most Americans see Iran as an enemy they have doubts Trump’s judgment on military force, AP-NORC poll has found.A new AP-NORC poll found that many US adults continue to view Iran’s nuclear program as a threat, but few Americans have high trust in President Donald Trump’s judgment on the use of military force abroad.The survey was conducted February 19-23, as military tensions built in the Middle East between the United States and Iran.It found that about half of US adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned that Iran’s nuclear program poses a direct threat to the United States, but only about one-quarter of Americans say they have high trust in Trump on relationships with adversaries or the use of military force abroad.The US 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 US 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.”A prominent advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader has suggested that Iran could reach an immediate agreement in talks with the US 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 defence 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.Just before leaving for the third round of nuclear negotiations, Araghchi told India Today that he believes a “fair, balanced, and equitable deal” is possible based on foundations built during the previous talks.But he added that Iranians are approaching these talks with more caution, after Israel launched an attack during US-Iranian nuclear negotiations last June, and the US also attacked multiple Iranian nuclear sites.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that rumours Iran was developing a missile capable of reaching the US are “fake news”AP“The wounds of that aggression is still alive in our minds,” he said. “This time, we are obviously more careful.”Araghchi added that rumours Iran was developing a missile capable of reaching the US are “fake news” and that the country had capped its missile capabilities at a distance of 2000 kilometres for defensive purposes only.He also stressed that Iran’s red line is that it will not give up its ability to enrich uranium, which he said the country does for peaceful purposes. Iran can offer permanent “confidence” that its program is peaceful in exchange for the total termination of sanctions, he said.From our partners