US envoys never asked for zero uranium enrichment in Geneva, says FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the American show Morning Joe that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did not demand a complete halt to uranium enrichment from Iran during the Geneva talks.

“We have not offered any suspension, and the US side has not asked for zero enrichment,” Caliber.Az quotes Aragchi as saying during the interview.

Araghchi added that Iran’s new nuclear deal proposal will be prepared within two to three days and then presented to the US negotiators.

Iran’s nuclear program has long been at the centre of global diplomacy, with Tehran insisting its uranium enrichment activities are for peaceful energy purposes while Washington and its allies have pushed for strict limits to prevent possible weapons development; earlier rounds of talks have repeatedly stalled over disagreements about enrichment levels and verification.

These indirect negotiations were held in Geneva under Oman’s mediation and focused on finding a diplomatic pathway to narrow disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme and the conditions for lifting US sanctions.

Iran described the talks as more constructive than earlier rounds and said both sides agreed on a general set of guiding principles to move forward toward drafting a potential deal.

However, US officials painted a more cautious picture, noting that Iran has not acknowledged key American “red lines” and that significant gaps remain on issues like enrichment limits and sanctions relief, meaning no breakthrough agreement was reached yet.

The negotiations took place amid rising geopolitical tension, with the US bolstering military forces in the region and Iranian military drills near the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the fragile balance between diplomacy and potential conflict.

By Jeyhun Aghazada