The second round of high-level negotiations between the United States and Iran has concluded in Geneva. Mediating diplomats from Oman point to a constructive atmosphere, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced an agreement on a set of guiding principles for a future deal. Despite President Donald Trump's military rhetoric, both sides declare a willingness to avoid a new armed conflict in the Middle East.

Agreement on Principles

The parties agreed on so-called guiding principles, which form the technical foundation for a future text of a nuclear agreement between the US and Iran.

Trump's Key Negotiators

In Geneva, the interests of the White House were represented by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, underscoring personal involvement of Donald Trump in the process.

Role of Mediators

The talks were conducted using an indirect method under the supervision of diplomats from Oman, enabling an exchange of views without direct contact between the delegations.

Cooperation with IAEA

Before the session with the Americans, Abbas Araghchi held talks with Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, regarding monitoring of nuclear facilities.

In mid-February, Geneva became the center of world diplomacy, hosting delegations from the United States and Iran during the second round of talks concerning the nuclear program. The American side was represented by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Iranian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The negotiations were held in an indirect format with active mediation by diplomats from Oman. The main goal of the meeting was to break the deadlock following last year's armed incidents and to regulate the issue of uranium enrichment by Tehran. Although technical details remain confidential, Araghchi confirmed that a „set of guiding principles” had been developed to guide further work on the texts of a future agreement. The atmosphere of the talks was described as constructive, marking a significant change after a period of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran demands the lifting of economic sanctions, which it calls „illegal,” while rejecting American demands for a complete halt to uranium enrichment and limitations on its missile program. US-Iranian relations have remained tense since the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the severing of diplomatic ties after the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. The previous multilateral nuclear agreement from 2015 was unilaterally terminated by the Donald Trump administration in 2018. This event is interpreted as a diplomatic return of Switzerland to the role of a global mediator. Before entering talks with the Americans, Minister Araghchi met with the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, to discuss inspections at Iranian nuclear facilities. It is worth noting that the Iranian side firmly demanded an end to threats of force by the US administration, which was echoed in official statements after the session concluded. The next, third round of negotiations is to be scheduled after experts complete work on draft documents, suggesting a shift from general declarations to specific legal provisions. „We have managed to achieve a broad agreement on a set of guiding principles, which may open the way to a possible agreement in the future.” — Abbas Araghchi 11 days — passed between the first round in Oman and the summit in Geneva Course of Nuclear Negotiations 2026: February 6, 2026 — First round in Oman; February 16, 2026 — Meeting with IAEA; February 17, morning — Start of negotiations; February 17, afternoon — Announcement of progress

Mentioned People

  • Abbas Araghchi — Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, chief negotiator of the agreement in Geneva.
  • Steve Witkoff — Special envoy of the US President to the Middle East and participant in the Geneva talks.
  • Jared Kushner — Son-in-law of Donald Trump and key advisor involved in Middle East diplomacy.
  • Rafael Grossi — Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.