Iran-US nuclear talks conclude in Geneva 'after significant progress': Omani FM

GENEVA - The Iranian and US delegations wrapped up their new round of nuclear talks in Geneva "after significant progress in the negotiation," said Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi on Thursday.

"We will resume soon after consultation in the respective capitals. Discussions on a technical level will take place next week in Vienna," he said in a post on X.

The meeting marked the third round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the United States under the mediation of Oman, which began on Thursday morning.

Iran's delegation was headed by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, while US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner represented Washington in the negotiations.

Araghchi told Iran's state TV that the talks "made very good progress and entered into the elements of an agreement very seriously, both in the nuclear field and in the sanctions field," according to media reports. He added that the two sides may hold a new round of talks within a week.

Earlier in the day, Albusaidi said both delegations demonstrated "unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions" in the talks, adding that the efforts are continuing intensively and in a constructive manner.

The third round of the negotiations came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States in the wake of a US military buildup in West Asia.

The first and second rounds of talks were held earlier this month in Muscat and Geneva, centered on restricting Iran's uranium enrichment and stockpiles in exchange for sanctions relief.

The Trump administration is demanding an indefinite, verifiable deal to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, amidst threats of military action if diplomacy fails.

Iran, on the other hand, has insisted that the talks focus solely on its nuclear program and wants to lift a series of sanctions imposed by the United States, reiterating that the country was not seeking a nuclear weapon.