AZE.US
The United States and Iran held another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Wednesday amid widening differences over Tehran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. negotiating position includes dismantling Iran’s three key nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – transferring enriched uranium stockpiles out of the country, and accepting a permanent “zero enrichment” framework.
Iran has not publicly confirmed the full scope of the reported U.S. demands. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that Tehran will not accept a complete halt to uranium enrichment, arguing that enrichment for peaceful purposes remains its sovereign right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Enrichment Dispute
International inspectors have previously confirmed that Iran has enriched uranium to levels of up to 60%, below weapons-grade but significantly above civilian thresholds. Western governments argue that such levels reduce the technical breakout time needed to produce weapons-grade material. Tehran maintains that it does not seek nuclear weapons.
The United States has also raised concerns about Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy networks, issues that Iranian officials describe as separate from nuclear negotiations.
Military Posture
The U.S. has increased its military presence in parts of the Middle East in recent weeks, including naval deployments. American officials have described the moves as defensive and aimed at deterrence. No official announcement has been made regarding a decision to carry out military action.
Iranian authorities have warned that any strike would prompt retaliation.
Sanctions and Domestic Context
Tehran is seeking broader sanctions relief, while Washington has reportedly proposed phased and conditional easing tied to compliance measures.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported polling data suggesting significant public resistance to limiting missile development, though such surveys are conducted within Iran’s domestic media environment and have not been independently verified.
Current Stage
Diplomatic contacts remain ongoing. Neither side has formally declared negotiations exhausted. Analysts describe the talks as high-stakes but note that substantial gaps remain on enrichment levels, sanctions sequencing and verification mechanisms.
At this stage, negotiations continue, while both diplomatic and military pressure tracks remain active.