Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's stance in the nuclear negotiations, emphasizing that Iran must not have nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Oman stated that the latest talks showed significant progress that could help avert war.
Tensions have escalated after the U.S. deployed its largest military buildup in decades to the Middle East, with the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, heading toward Israel's coast amid pressure for Iran to accept key demands, especially regarding its nuclear program.
Following talks between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva, Trump said Tehran's government did not concede what he wanted and clearly stated he wants Iran to have no uranium enrichment at all, the material that can be used to develop nuclear weapons, even though Iran has consistently maintained it is not pursuing nuclear arms.
Previously, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal, which required Iran to limit uranium enrichment to low levels. In June, he claimed that Iran's key nuclear facilities were completely destroyed after the U.S. participated in a major Israeli airstrike operation.
However, Oman, acting as a mediator in the negotiations, painted a different picture. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, who was meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington, revealed that Iran agreed not to stockpile uranium at any level and to convert its existing uranium stockpiles into fuel, marking an unprecedented significant advance.
Al-Busaidi told CBS's Face the Nation that if the ultimate goal is to ensure Iran never obtains nuclear bombs, this agreement could be a crucial key and estimated it might take about three months to finalize the deal.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Israel on Monday to discuss Iran-related issues. The U.S. embassy has authorized non-essential staff and families to temporarily leave Israel due to security risks.
Several countries have also issued travel warnings. Germany urgently advised avoiding travel to Israel, the United Kingdom relocated some diplomatic staff from Tel Aviv, and China urged its citizens to evacuate Iran as soon as possible.
Beyond nuclear issues, Trump said in his annual policy speech that Iran is developing missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S., while Rubio warned that if Iran refuses missile talks, it will be a major problem, despite Iran insisting negotiations should be limited to nuclear matters only.
Recently, the U.S. designated Iran as a state sponsor of unlawful detention related to the imprisonment of American citizens.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the success of negotiations depends on seriousness and realism from the other side and avoiding demands beyond reasonable limits.
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