Nuclear Talks Resume as Military Tensions Rise Between US and Iran

Iranian and American officials are meeting in Geneva Thursday for what could be final diplomatic negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. The high-stakes talks come as the U.S. has positioned warships and aircraft in the Middle East, with both sides warning of potential regional conflict if diplomacy fails.

GENEVA (AP) — Iranian and American diplomats gathered Thursday in Geneva for nuclear discussions that many view as diplomacy’s final opportunity, as Washington has positioned naval vessels and military aircraft throughout the Middle East to apply pressure on Tehran for an agreement.

President Donald Trump seeks an agreement that would limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities, believing this moment presents an opening while Tehran faces domestic turmoil from widespread protests that occurred last month. Iran continues to assert its right to uranium enrichment, despite its nuclear infrastructure suffering significant damage after Trump authorized strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

Should American military action occur, Iran has declared that all U.S. military installations across the Middle East would become legitimate targets, potentially endangering tens of thousands of American troops. Tehran has also issued threats against Israel following an intense 12-day conflict last year, raising concerns about another regional war erupting throughout the Middle East.

“There would be no victory for anybody — it would be a devastating war,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told India Today in an interview recorded Wednesday before his departure to Geneva.

“Since the Americans’ bases are scattered through different places in the region, then unfortunately perhaps the whole region would be engaged and be involved, so it is a very terrible scenario.”

Araghchi will once again negotiate with Steve Witkoff, a wealthy real estate mogul and Trump associate who functions as the president’s special Middle East representative. These two officials conducted several negotiating sessions last year that broke down after Israel initiated its military campaign against Iran in June. Oman, the sultanate positioned on the Arabian Peninsula’s eastern border that has historically facilitated communication between Iran and Western nations, is once again mediating these current discussions.

Trump is now demanding that Iran completely stop uranium enrichment activities, while also addressing Tehran’s ballistic missile development and its backing of regional militant organizations. Iran insists the negotiations must concentrate exclusively on nuclear matters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program. He stated that Tehran currently isn’t enriching uranium, “but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”

Iran claims it hasn’t conducted enrichment since June, yet has prevented International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from accessing the facilities targeted in American bombings. Satellite imagery examined by The Associated Press has revealed ongoing activity at two of these locations, indicating Iran may be evaluating and possibly recovering materials from these sites.

Western nations and the IAEA maintain that Iran operated a nuclear weapons program until 2003. Prior to the June military action, Tehran had been enriching uranium to 60% purity levels — requiring only minor technical advancement to reach weapons-grade concentrations of 90%.

American intelligence services conclude that Iran hasn’t restarted a weapons program but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” Despite claiming their program serves peaceful purposes, Iranian leadership has made threats about pursuing nuclear weapons in recent years.

“The principle’s very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House Wednesday.

Vance explained that Trump is “sending those negotiators to try to address that problem” and “wants to address that problem diplomatically.”

“But, of course, the president has other options as well,” Vance added.

Should these negotiations collapse, questions remain about when any potential military action might occur.

If military strikes aim to force Iranian concessions in nuclear talks, it remains unclear whether limited attacks would achieve this goal. If the objective involves removing Iran’s government, this would likely require America to commit to an extensive, prolonged military operation. No public evidence exists of planning for subsequent steps, including potential chaos within Iran.

Questions also surround how military action might affect the broader region. Tehran could strike back against Persian Gulf nations allied with America or target Israel. Oil prices have climbed recently partly due to these worries, with benchmark Brent crude reaching approximately $70 per barrel. During previous negotiations, Iran reported briefly stopping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf through which one-fifth of global oil trade passes.

Satellite photographs taken Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC and reviewed by The Associated Press seemed to indicate that American naval vessels normally stationed in Bahrain, headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, had all deployed to sea. The 5th Fleet directed inquiries to U.S. Central Command, which refused to provide comment. Before Iran’s attack on Qatar in June, the 5th Fleet similarly dispersed its ships to sea as protection against possible assault.