The second round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States on Tehran’s nuclear programme ended in Geneva, Switzerland, on 17 February without an agreement.
“Progress has been made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” a U.S. official told Radio Liberty. – The Iranians have said they will return in the next fortnight with detailed proposals to address some of the gaps in our positions.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his country’s state media that the two sides had “reached an understanding” on key issues, but cautioned that this “does not mean we will reach an agreement soon.”
He added that Tehran and Washington would begin work on a potential deal, but said a date for the next round of talks had not yet been set.
In an interview with Fox News after the talks ended on 17 February, US Vice President J.D. Vance said Iran was “not yet ready to recognise [US President Donald] Trump’s red lines”.
“Iran says it doesn’t covet nuclear weapons, but we know that’s not true,” Vance said. – We would very much like to resolve all issues through conversation.” The vice president added that Trump has “many tools” to prevent the world’s most unpredictable regime from getting “the most dangerous weapon in the world.”
Speaking at a special session of the disarmament conference at the United Nations after talks with the United States, Araqchi said Tehran “hopes that the talks will lead to a sustainable and agreed solution that can serve the interests” of all parties involved.
However, he added that Iran is “fully prepared to defend itself” against US strikes.
The Oman-brokered talks are aimed at resolving the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme as the United States continues to amass forces in the Arabian Sea.
President Donald Trump has warned that failure to reach an agreement could lead to military strikes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US threats of military action the previous day. Addressing a crowd of supporters in Tehran, Khamenei said on 17 February that Iran had the capability to sink US warships.
His comments came a day after Trump hinted at the possibility of military action if diplomacy fails. “I don’t think they want the consequences of no deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on 16 February.
“We could have made a deal instead of sending B-2s to destroy their nuclear capability. And we had to send B-2s,” he added, referring to the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025.
13 Feb The US president said regime change in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen”.
Addressing Trump directly, Khamenei said the US president “will not be able” to topple the Islamic Republic.
Trump said he would be “indirectly” involved in the Geneva talks. It is the second round of meetings this year between Tehran and Washington after talks earlier this month in Muscat.
Iran has said it is willing to submit to a strict regime of inspections of its nuclear facilities in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions. It has also tried to present its sanctions-hit economy as a lucrative investment opportunity for US firms.
But Tehran has rejected the possibility of talks on issues such as its missile programme and support for proxies in the region – “red lines” that the Trump administration insists need to be addressed.
The talks were held at the Omani consulate, where mediators exchanged messages between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
As the United States increases its military presence in the Arabian Sea, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (quir) began naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on 16 February. Iranian media reported that the purpose was to test the navy’s operational readiness for “possible security and military threats”.
On 17 February, state media announced the temporary closure of parts of the Strait for “security reasons”.
As tensions with the West have escalated, Tehran has frequently threatened to disrupt the strait, a point through which more than 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passes daily.