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Second round of Iran-US talks in Geneva on Feb 17; Araghchi leaves for Swiss capital
This comes after the first round of indirect talks between Iran and US took place in Oman last week.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday left for Geneva, where the second round of nuclear negotiations with the United States will take place, his ministry said.
According to the ministry, Araghchi, along with his delegation, “left Tehran for Geneva late Sunday”. He is heading a “diplomatic and technical delegation” to conduct the second round of indirect talks, and will also hold a number of diplomatic consultations, AFP cited the ministry as saying.
This comes after the first round of indirect talks between Iran and US took place in Muscat last week, Oman will mediate the talks in Geneva, the IRNA state-run news agency reported.
“Indirect Iran-US nuclear talks will be held on Tuesday with the mediation and good offices of Oman,” the ministry said.
During his visit, Araghchi is also expected to meet his Swiss and Omani counterparts, as well as Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the United Nations' atomic watchdog.
CNN had earlier reported that the next round of talks between Iran and US was scheduled on Tuesday (February 17)in Geneva, Switzerland, citing two sources familiar with the matter. According to the report, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are also expected to attend the negotiations.
Nuclear talks restart amid tensions; Trump expresses uncertainty over results
The nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington resumed on February 6 in Muscat, months after the breakdown of previous talks. This happened during a 12-day war with Israel last June, wherein the latter and the US targeted nuclear facilities in Iran.
Tensions between Iran and US escalated again after America threatened Tehran with military action and deployed an aircraft carrier group to the region. US President Trump's threats followed Iran's crackdown on anti-government protests, which started last year in December.
However, while talks have resumed, US President Trump expressed a lack of confidence in the negotiations, while saying that Iran does not have a good track record. He said that Iran officials “want to talk, but so far they do a lot of talking and no action”, CNN reported. He further said that a regime change would be “the best thing that could happen.”
‘All enriched material has to leave Iran’: Netanyahu
While both Washington and Tehran head towards a second round of talks, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for “all enriched material” to be taken out of Iran.
“The first is that all enriched material has to leave Iran,” Netanyahu said during a speech in Jerusalem, AFP reported. He further said that there should be no enrichment capability in Iran, urging for their equipment to be dismantled.
“Dismantle the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” the Israeli PM said, while also mentioning the issue of ballistic missiles.
