The Swiss and Geneva talks, mediated by the Sultanate of Oman, highlighted important progress between the United States and Iran regarding the nuclear program, but did not produce a breakthrough that dispels US President Donald Trump’s threat to resort to the military option. The negotiations focus on lifting sanctions and the missile file, amid warnings of expanding conflict in the Middle East and mounting internal pressure on Tehran.
Published on: 02/27/2026 - 00:26 Last updated: 02/27/2026 - 05:03
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The Sultanate of Oman, in its capacity as a mediator between the United States and Iran, clarified that Thursday's talks on Tehran's nuclear program had achieved notable progress, but ended without a breakthrough that would reduce the possibility of US strikes in light of the military reinforcements.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi revealed in a post on the X platform after the Swiss discussions that the two parties intend to resume negotiations immediately after the end of the consultations in Tehran and Washington, with technical discussions being held next week in Vienna.
MS Now reported on Thursday that Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is scheduled to meet US Vice President J.D. Vance and other officials in Washington on Friday, to hold talks as part of efforts to avoid the outbreak of war with Iran.
Observers believe that any fundamental step towards an agreement may weaken the possibility of US President Donald Trump carrying out his threat to attack Iran, at a time when the region is still experiencing tension after a previous indirect round on Tuesday that did not lead to an agreement.
This Omani assessment came after indirect talks in Geneva between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which included two morning and evening sessions.
Read also: Trump is waiting for the draft agreement from the Iranians, before making the decision for war or peace
Al-Busaidi stated in his comment, “We concluded today after achieving important progress in the negotiations between the United States and Iran. We will resume soon after consultation in the relevant capitals,” without indicating that the main obstacles had been overcome, adding that “discussions at the technical level will take place next week in Vienna.”
Araqchi described the talks as one of the most important things that took place between Iran and the United States, explaining, “We reached an agreement on some issues, and there are disagreements on others,” before adding, “It was decided to hold the next round of negotiations soon, in less than a week,” indicating Tehran’s adherence to lifting sanctions in exchange for concessions that Washington insists should be significant.
There has been no official comment yet from the American team, while Axios quoted a senior American official as saying that the Geneva talks were “positive.”
These moves coincide with repeated warnings from Trump to take military measures if an agreement is not concluded, and with the continued US military buildup around Iran and mounting fears of a war breaking out in the Middle East.
Intense and serious conversations
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that reaching a framework for a nuclear agreement remains possible if “nuclear and non-nuclear issues” are separated in the negotiations.
The Trump administration stresses the inclusion of Iran's ballistic missile program and Tehran's support for armed groups in the region in any negotiation.
After the morning session, Al Busaidi spoke about exchanging “creative and positive ideas” between the two sides, while another Iranian official confirmed that some gaps still exist.
The United States accuses Iran of seeking to possess the ability to manufacture a nuclear bomb and demands that it completely halt uranium enrichment, while Tehran reiterates its denials and says it is ready to show flexibility in exchange for lifting sanctions and recognizing its right to enrichment.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran's refusal to discuss its missile program represents a "big problem" that must be dealt with, accusing Iranian missiles of being "designed only to strike America" without providing evidence of the possibility of targeting American territory.
"Things are very bad"
In a statement on February 19, Trump reiterated that Iran had between ten and 15 days to reach an agreement, warning of “dire consequences” if efforts failed, and reiterated in his State of the Union address his preference for a diplomatic solution while refusing to allow Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.
The United States moved to participate in Israeli raids on Iranian nuclear sites in June, and then Trump intensified the pressure since January, linking it to a campaign of suppression of protests inside Iran that claimed the lives of thousands, with the deployment of fighter planes and groups of aircraft carriers in the region.
Iran responded last summer by launching missiles at Israel, hinting at a strong response to any new attack, which raised Gulf concerns about the expansion of the conflict.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is facing a severe internal crisis with the escalation of the effects of sanctions and the return of protests, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed on Thursday that Khamenei issued a fatwa prohibiting weapons of mass destruction, considering that this “clearly means that Tehran will not manufacture nuclear weapons.”
France 24/AFP
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