Trump to Participate Indirectly in Upcoming Iran Nuclear Talks

US President Donald Trump Announces Indirect Involvement in Geneva Talks

United States President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he will be involved “indirectly” in the second round of high-stakes nuclear talks between Iran and Washington, set to take place in Geneva on Tuesday. The comments came as Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Swiss city for meetings ahead of the indirect talks.

Trump made the announcement while traveling on Air Force One, saying that the discussions on Tuesday would be “very important” and that Iran is a “tough negotiator.” He also mentioned that Iran had learned from its past experience with the US joining Israel’s 12-day war on Iran last June, which resulted in the derailment of indirect talks.

The second round of talks faces several potential stumbling blocks. The US has demanded that Iran forgo uranium enrichment on its soil and expand the scope of talks to non-nuclear issues, such as Iran’s missile stockpile. However, Tehran has insisted that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and will only discuss curbs on its programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iranian diplomat Abbas Araghchi stated that he was in Geneva with “real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal.” He also met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, for technical discussions. The IAEA has been calling on Iran to provide information about its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium following the Israeli-US strikes.

The talks come ahead of high tensions in the Gulf region, with the US deploying a second aircraft carrier to the area and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warning that any attack on Iran would prompt a regional war. The Iranian delegation in Geneva includes fully authorized economic, legal, political, and technical teams, signaling readiness for concessions.

The negotiations take place against the backdrop of a massive US military build-up in the region, with Iran launching military drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Source: Al Jazeera