SG News Report
SG News Desk — US President Donald Trump has said he will be “indirectly” involved in the latest round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, which begin in Geneva on Tuesday.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump called the discussions “very important” and insisted Iran is now more willing to negotiate.
“I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” he said.
Trump added that Iran “learned the consequences” during talks last summer, referencing the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites using B-2 stealth bombers.
Geneva Talks Begin Amid High Tensions
The meeting — mediated by Oman — will focus on Iran’s nuclear programme and the possible lifting of US economic sanctions.
Tehran says the US stance has recently become “more realistic”.
Washington, however, wants the agenda expanded to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme and regional military activities.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in Geneva for the talks, said:
“What is not on the table: submission before threats.”
US Military Build-Up in the Region
The talks come with a significant rise in US military deployments across the Middle East:
- The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group is now positioned near Iran, confirmed via satellite imagery.
- The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest warship, is expected to arrive within three weeks.
- Additional US destroyers, combat ships, and fighter jets have moved into the area.
Iran has responded by launching a major IRGC naval drill in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
US Envoys and Diplomatic Push
The White House confirmed it has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to support the Geneva process.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Hungary, said a deal was possible but difficult:
“There’s an opportunity to diplomatically reach an agreement… but it’s going to be hard.”