US and Iran hold nuclear talks as Trump ratchets up pressure on military buildup
The United States and Iran met in Geneva on Thursday for talks aimed at resolving their nuclear standoff, as President Donald Trump pressured Tehran. by threatening to fight.
The talks – the third round of indirect talks – had started early on Thursday, Iran’s state-run Fars media said.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump announced that Iran was working on developing missiles that “could reach the US very soon. – his clear case however regarding possible attacks after overseeing the military build-up in the region.
“The goal is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“If they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon, that causes us problems,” he said, adding that Washington “has seen evidence that they have tried to do just that.”
Iran has long denied that it wants to develop a nuclear weapon, and has warned of a strong response to even a limited attack by the US or Israel.
Tehran has dismissed Trump’s claims that he has “bad nuclear ambitions” as part of a series of “big lies.”
“Iran entered the negotiations with full readiness and seriousness. Experts and experts in nuclear issues, sanctions relief, and legal and economic issues are part of our team, and we are ready to continue negotiations as long as necessary,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state TV early Thursday.
Iran’s proposals for Thursday’s talks have not been disclosed, but it has stressed that it expects the lifting of sanctions in return for possible concessions on its nuclear program.
On the eve of the talks, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on the country’s oil sales and ballistic missile production.
The talks come as the US builds up a military presence in the Middle East, the largest in decades, while the president weighs options for a possible attack.
Trump’s assertion that Iran wants to build a missile capable of reaching the US comes after weeks of mixed messages from Washington on the reasons for the military impasse.
The president first threatened to intervene amid unrest across Iran last month, but his administration’s threats in recent weeks have focused on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, which he maintained at the same time was “destroyed” by US strikes last June.
Trump said Tuesday that while that operation was a success, Tehran “started from scratch.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified the matter on Wednesday. He told reporters that Iran is “always trying to rebuild the elements” of its nuclear program. Tehran isn’t fueling uranium right now, Rubio said, “but they’re trying to get to where they can eventually.”
In addition to the oil commitments, the US has been pressuring Iran to make concessions on its ballistic missile program and support for opposition forces in the Middle East.
Iran insisted that the talks should always focus on nuclear issues.
