Significant progress has been reported in the ongoing US-Iran talks held in Switzerland, aimed at preventing a potential military conflict between the two nations. Mediators confirmed on Thursday that the next round of discussions is expected to take place next week in Austria.
The discussions, facilitated by Oman, come at a time when US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with military action, giving Tehran a 15-day deadline to reach a new agreement.
While Iran has insisted that the talks focus solely on its nuclear program, the United States has pushed for broader concessions, including limits on Iran’s missile program and an end to support for regional armed groups.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television, “The discussions have made very good progress. We have engaged in serious talks on the preliminary steps of the agreement, including nuclear activities and sanctions relief.” He added that the next round of talks could occur within a week, following technical consultations scheduled with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna on Monday.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi also tweeted that “significant progress has been achieved” and confirmed that technical discussions in Vienna are planned for the coming week.
Meanwhile, the United States has deployed its largest military presence in the Middle East in decades. The talks in Geneva took place under tight security at the residence of the Omani ambassador, with each delegation consulting with their respective capitals between morning and afternoon sessions.
Araghchi described the current negotiations as “the most important so far,” noting that both sides agreed to continue detailed discussions on sanctions relief and nuclear steps, with IAEA Director Rafael Grossi also participating.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the US delegation has demanded that Iran shut down its three main nuclear facilities and transfer all enriched uranium to US custody. Iran, however, continues to maintain that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes, with President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirming that his country is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
AFP photographers reported that as part of the US military’s heightened readiness, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is now deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln, nine destroyers, and three additional warships.
Earlier this week, in his State of the Union address, Trump accused Iran of pursuing “dangerous nuclear ambitions” and developing missiles capable of striking US bases in Europe and abroad—a claim Tehran has rejected as “grossly false.”
The US delegation is being led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.