In the scenic city of Geneva, the United States and Iran are gearing up for a critical second round of discussions concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions, set to unfold on Tuesday. This comes amidst a backdrop of escalating tensions, as the U.S. intensifies its military footprint in the Middle East while Iran engages in extensive naval drills.

President Donald Trump has not shied away from issuing stern warnings towards Iran, signaling a willingness to employ force should Iran refuse to curb its nuclear activities. In response, Iran has made it clear that any aggressive action would be met with a retaliatory strike. Additionally, Trump has taken a hard stance against Iran for its severe response to the recent nationwide protests.

The initial dialogue, conducted on February 6 in Oman, was marked by indirect exchanges. The diplomatic dance saw American SUVs adorned with the national flag discreetly entering the palace venue post the apparent departure of Iranian representatives. As for the upcoming negotiations on Tuesday, the logistics remain somewhat shrouded in mystery.

Among those spearheading the U.S. efforts are envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently in Budapest, Hungary, expressed optimism on Monday about reaching an agreement with Iran. “I’m not going to prejudge these talks,” Rubio remarked, emphasizing President Trump’s preference for peaceful and negotiated resolutions.

On the Iranian side, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is at the forefront of the Geneva discussions. He recently engaged with the chief of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency, underscoring the gravity of these negotiations.

Araghchi conveyed his intentions through social media, stating, “I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” while firmly asserting, “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Last week, a top Iranian security official traveled to Oman and met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the talks, in a meeting likely focused on updates from the first round and next steps.

“Regional peace and security is our priority, and we urge restraint and wise compromise,” al-Busaidi wrote on X after his meeting with Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iran has in the past communicated its positions in writing when dealing with the Americans. Famously, Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tried to hand Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a letter from Trump in 2019 that he refused to take.

Iran holds naval drills against the US military buildup

Iran announced that its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard started a drill early Monday morning in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, waterways that are crucial international trade routes through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.

Separately, EOS Risk Group said sailors passing through the region received a radio warning that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iranian territorial waters, likely would see a live-fire drill Tuesday. Iranian state TV did not mention the live-fire drill.

It was Iran’s second warning in recent weeks about a live-fire drill.

Last week, Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean Sea to the Mideast to join other warships and military assets the U.S. has built up in the region.

The Ford, whose new deployment was first reported by The New York Times, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers, which have been in the region for over two weeks. U.S. forces already have shot down an Iranian drone that approached the Lincoln on the same day last week that Iran tried to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Iran says any deal must include easing of punishing sanctions

The Trump administration is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment or hand over its supply of uranium.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signaled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States.

“The ball is in America’s court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC on Sunday. “If we see a sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement.”

“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program provided that they are also ready to talk about the sanctions,” he added.

The U.S. and Iran were in the middle of months of meetings when Israel’s launch of a 12-day war against Iran back in June instantly halted the talks. The U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites during that war, likely destroying many of the centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity. Israel’s attacks decimated Iran’s air defenses and targeted its ballistic missile arsenal as well.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

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Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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