Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the third round of negotiations with the United States on Thursday in Geneva was the most intensive so far and yielded further progress, as both sides agreed to deepen discussions on sanctions relief and nuclear steps.
In a post on X, Araghchi said the session, held in Geneva on Thursday, concluded with a mutual understanding to continue engaging in greater detail on both tracks.
He added that technical teams from the two countries are expected to convene in Vienna in the coming days to pursue what he described as a mission no less critical than the political negotiations.
Tehran and Washington have resumed diplomatic contacts after previous efforts were disrupted by an Israeli attack in June, which was followed by a US strike targeting key Iranian nuclear facilities.
The third round lasted more than six hours and was held in two sessions, in the morning and afternoon with Omani mediation. Both sides assessed the talks as positive. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Araghchi said the two sides had managed to identify the main elements of a possible agreement.
“On this basis, we decided to task our technical teams with meeting in Vienna, at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to begin work on the technical details,” he said. “At the same time, we held very detailed discussions on sanctions, as lifting them is one of the pillars of any deal.”
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of a US military build-up in the region and repeated warnings that Washington could resort to force if diplomacy fails. Iranian officials, as well as regional governments and analysts, have cautioned that any military confrontation could quickly spill over, with Tehran warning it would respond by targeting US bases in neighboring countries.
Separately, some media reports have said Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, is scheduled to visit Washington on Friday for talks expected to focus on Iran and efforts to prevent a conflict. However, there has been no official confirmation from Omani or US authorities at the time of writing.
