Published on: 02/26/2026 - 07:40 Modified on: 02/27/2026 - 07:49
Prelude to an agreement or to war? Iran and the United States completed a third session of indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, a final attempt to avoid a military confrontation after a massive American deployment in the Middle East. According to the Iranian Foreign Minister, "very good progress" was recorded in Geneva, before technical discussions which will take place next week in Vienna. Here is the thread for February 26, 2026.
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J.D. Vance: There is 'no chance' a strike on Iran will trigger a lasting war
US Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday there was "zero chance" that a strike on Iran would lead to a protracted war in the region, according to an interview with the Washington Post.
"The idea that we're going to be engaged in a war in the Middle East for years with no end in sight - there's no chance of that happening," he said in an interview with the American newspaper. “I think we all prefer the diplomatic option,” the vice president added, while declaring that “it really depends on what the Iranians do and say.”
Iran says it had its most 'intense' talks with Washington
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had his "most intense" talks to date with the Americans, after a day of indirect discussions in Geneva on Thursday.
“This negotiation session has been the most intense to date,” the Iranian negotiator stressed overnight in a message on X, emphasizing that “further progress has been made in our diplomatic engagement with the United States.”
Update on negotiations in Geneva with Siavosh Ghazi, correspondent in Tehran
Iran announces new session of talks with the United States "in less than a week"
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that a new session of discussions with the United States would probably be held "in less than a week", after welcoming "good progress" during talks on Thursday in Geneva.
“It has... been decided that the next round of negotiations will be held very soon, perhaps in less than a week,” he told state television.
Technical discussions will be held beforehand on Monday in Vienna, Austria, he said.
Iran says it has made 'good progress' in talks with US
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported "good progress" on Thursday evening after a third session of talks with the United States.
“We have made very good progress and approached very seriously the elements of an agreement, both in the nuclear area and in that of sanctions,” he declared on state television after the talks held in Geneva.
Iran, US to hold 'technical talks' next week in Vienna
Iran and the United States made "significant progress" on Thursday during a new session of indirect discussions in Switzerland, according to the Omani mediator who announced the holding of "technical" discussions next week in Vienna.
Iran-US talks session ends after 'significant progress', Oman says
Oman's foreign minister said negotiations between Iran and the United States in Geneva concluded after "significant progress" and would "resume soon."
US envoys disappointed after morning talks with Iranians, says Axios
White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were disappointed by what they heard from the Iranians during this morning's negotiations in Geneva, Axios reported.
Maximalist American demands?
According to the Wall Street Journal, American envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would bring maximalist demands to Geneva, including a total dismantling of the three main Iranian nuclear sites, Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan - targeted by American strikes in June - and the handing over to the United States of the country's enriched uranium stocks.
To have
Delegations returning for further talks in Geneva
The American and Iranian delegations returned to the location of their indirect talks after a break of several hours, a diplomatic source announced to AFP.
The delegation vehicles reached the residence of the ambassador of Oman, mediator country, shortly before 5:00 p.m. GMT, for the continuation of these discussions that began in the morning, AFP journalists noted.
Washington close to cutting off a Swiss bank's access to the American financial system
The American government on Thursday accused a Swiss bank, MBaer, of laundering money in particular to serve Iranian interests and plans to deprive it of access to the United States financial system.
The Zurich-based bank “transmitted more than a hundred million dollars through the American financial system on behalf of illegal actors linked to Iran and Russia,” said American Finance Minister Scott Bessent in a press release.
The bank is also the subject of a procedure by the Swiss financial supervisory authority (Finma), according to a press release from the latter published Thursday.
Fire breaks out at industrial complex in Abadan, Iran, state media says
A fire broke out at an industrial complex in the southern Iranian city of Abadan, state media reported on Thursday, adding that preliminary reports indicated the incident
allegedly occurred in a plastic raw materials factory.
To see - student protests, talks with the United States... update on the situation in Iran
Iran-U.S. talks will resume around 5 p.m.
The American and Iranian sides consulted their respective capitals during the break and will resume their indirect talks around 5 p.m. GMT in Geneva, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson in Tehran announced on Thursday.
“The two delegations were to hold consultations,” Esmaïl Baghaï said on state television, adding that discussions would restart “between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time” (4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. GMT).
Crimes against humanity: complaint in Switzerland against an Iranian deputy minister
A complaint was filed in Switzerland against Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, accused of crimes against humanity, we learned Thursday from the plaintiff's lawyers who are calling for his arrest.
This complaint, filed under universal jurisdiction by an Iranian-Swiss refugee in Switzerland after ten years spent in Iranian jails for his political engagement, indicates that Kazem Gharibabadi "may have been guilty of serious crimes contrary to international law" in his country, as a "co-perpetrator" or, at a minimum, as a "responsible".
To go further: Esfandiari trial: one year in prison for the Iranian woman, the fate of Kohler and Paris in suspense
Pause of talks before resumption "later" Thursday, according to Omani mediator
Iran and the United States, meeting Thursday in Switzerland to try to find an agreement and avoid a military confrontation, took a break after three hours of indirect talks and will resume them "later today", according to the Omani mediator.
“We exchanged creative and positive ideas today in Geneva, and American and Iranian negotiators have now suspended discussions,” Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi wrote on X, saying he “hopes to make progress” upon resumption.
To go further - two students explain why they are protesting against Ayatollah Khamenei
With AFP, AP and Reuters
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