US-Iran Nuclear Talks Scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, Oman Confirms
Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi announced on Sunday that the next round of talks between the United States and Iran will take place on Thursday in Geneva. This confirmation came shortly after Iran's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, indicated he expected to meet with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff at that time.
In a social media post, al-Busaidi expressed pleasure at confirming the development, stating it comes "with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal." Oman has played a key mediating role, having previously hosted indirect talks on Iran's nuclear program and facilitating the latest round in Geneva last week.
Diplomatic Efforts Amid Heightened Tensions
In an interview aired Sunday on CBS, Araghchi maintained that a "good chance" remains for a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue, emphasizing it is the sole matter under discussion. He clarified that Iran is still working on a draft proposal and asserted Iran's right to enrich uranium. Notably, Araghchi claimed that U.S. counterparts had not demanded zero enrichment in recent talks, a point U.S. officials have publicly contradicted.
The Trump administration continues to press for concessions from Iran, its longtime adversary, while bolstering the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in decades. President Donald Trump warned on Friday of possible limited strikes against Iran, even as Araghchi suggested a proposed deal could be ready within days.
Preparations for Potential Conflict
Both nations have signaled readiness for war should negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program collapse. Shortly after Oman's announcement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian commented on social media, noting "recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals." However, he added, "we continue to closely monitor U.S. actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario."
The U.S. stance is clear: Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them, and it must not enrich uranium. Tehran, meanwhile, insists its nuclear program is peaceful and that negotiations should focus solely on this issue, maintaining it has not enriched uranium since U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites in June. The U.S. and other nations suspect Iran's program aims at eventual weapon development.
Background of Stalled Diplomacy
Talks have been deadlocked for years following President Trump's 2018 decision to unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Since then, Iran has refused to discuss broader U.S. and Israeli demands, such as scaling back its missile program and severing ties with armed groups.
New Protests Erupt in Iran
Confirmation of the upcoming talks coincides with new anti-government protests in Iran, according to witnesses. University students in Tehran and Mashhad demonstrated on Sunday around memorials for thousands killed in a crackdown on nationwide protests about six weeks ago.
Iran's state news agency reported protests at five universities in Tehran and one in Mashhad. These scattered demonstrations erupted Saturday following 40-day memorials for those killed in January during anti-government rallies. The Iranian government has not commented on the latest unrest.
Many Iranians have recently held ceremonies marking the traditional 40-day mourning period. Activists tracking the situation believe most protesters were killed around January 8 and 9. The country remains in shock, grief, and fear after the earlier protests were suppressed by the deadliest crackdown under 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's rule, resulting in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests.
Historical Context and Ongoing Unrest
Although the crackdown quelled the largest protests, smaller demonstrations persist, as reported by protesters and videos on social media. Historically, during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, 40-day memorials for slain protesters often sparked new rallies that security forces attempted to crush, leading to further deaths and cyclical protests.
Social media posts from Saturday and Sunday allege security forces tried to restrict attendance at some 40-day ceremonies. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports at least 7,015 people were killed in the previous protests and crackdown, including 214 government forces. This group, known for accuracy in counting deaths during past unrest in Iran, relies on a network of activists to verify fatalities, with the death toll rising as information is crosschecked despite communication disruptions.
Iran's government provided its only death toll from the previous protests on January 21, citing 3,117 deaths. The theocracy has a history of undercounting or not reporting fatalities from unrest. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll due to authorities disrupting internet access and international calls in Iran.
