Iran, U.S. continue indirect nuclear talks as Trump deploys warships, aircraft to Mideast

Iran and the United States were holding another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday to try to reach a deal on Tehran's nuclear program and potentially avert another war, as the U.S. gathers a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East. 

U.S. President Donald Trump wants a deal to constrain Iran's nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran also hopes to avert war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. 

If the U.S. attacks, Iran has said U.S. military bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets, putting at risk tens of thousands of American service members. Iran has also threatened to attack Israel, meaning a regional war could again erupt across the Middle East.

"There would be no victory for anybody — it would be a devastating war," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told India Today in an interview filmed Wednesday just before he flew to Geneva.

"Since the Americans' bases are scattered through different places in the region, then unfortunately perhaps the whole region would be engaged and be involved, so it is a very terrible scenario."

The two sides held multiple rounds of talks last year that collapsed when Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran in June and the U.S. carried out heavy strikes on its nuclear sites, leaving much of Iran's nuclear program in ruins, even as the full extent of the damage remains unclear.

Araghchi is representing Iran at the talks. Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and friend of Trump who serves as a special Mideast envoy, is heading up the U.S. delegation with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The talks are again being mediated by Oman, an Arab Gulf country that's long served as an interlocutor between Iran and the West.

Araghchi met Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi after arriving in Geneva on Wednesday night. The men "reviewed the views and proposals that the Iranian side will present to reach an agreement," a report from the state-run Oman News Agency said. Al-Busaidi will pass along Iran's offer to the U.S. on Thursday, it added.

Al-Busaidi also met with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. The Omani diplomat flashed a thumbs up to a question about whether he was hopeful for the talks. Oman later published images of Witkoff and Kushner meeting with the mediator.

The two sides adjourned after around three hours of talks and planned to resume the discussions later on Thursday.

"We've been exchanging creative and positive ideas in Geneva today," the Omani envoy said. "We hope to make more progress."

Trump wants Iran to completely halt its enrichment of uranium and roll back both its long-range missile program and its support for regional armed groups. Iran says it will only discuss nuclear issues and maintains its atomic program is for entirely peaceful purposes. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that Iran is "always trying to rebuild elements" of its nuclear program. He said that Tehran is not enriching uranium right now, "but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can." 

Iran has said it hasn't enriched since June, but it has blocked IAEA inspectors from visiting the sites bombed by the U.S. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press have shown activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is trying to assess and potentially recover material there.