U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations: Timeline, key positions and next steps

The latest round of U.S.-Iran talks concluded on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland. Although no deal has emerged, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said this round of talks has been "the most serious and longest" so far.

The latest three rounds of bilateral talks took place under the looming threat of military strikes. Two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups and more than 100 fighter jets are standing by in the Middle East, marking one of the largest U.S. military buildups in the region in decades.

Progress appears to have been made at the negotiating table since the first round of talks began in early February.

First round: Muscat, Oman

On February 6, U.S. delegations led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Iranian delegations led by Araghchi, conducted indirect negotiations mediated by Oman. 

According to the Iranian side, the talk did not discuss "any other topics" other than nuclear issues, on which Tehran opposed the transfer of its uranium abroad.

While the U.S. side pushed Iran on the limitation of its missile possession, Iran rejected such demands, calling missiles a defensive matter that is "never negotiable."

The first round of talks marked a renewed diplomatic effort between the two countries. It was held in a "positive atmosphere," though with a cautioning attitude that rebuilding trust can take time, according to Araghchi at the time.

Second round: Geneva, Switzerland

The second round of talks took place in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 17. The most noticeable outcome was the reaching of "a general agreement on a series of guiding principles, based on which we will henceforth move on and enter the text of a possible agreement," according to Araghchi. 

The heart of this discussion was Iran's nuclear program and the potential lifting of economic sanctions against the country. While Washington again indicated that it wanted to discuss Iran's missile stockpile, Iran has rejected discussing the matter.

Following the talk, the Iranian Foreign Minister said the path to an agreement has been started, but again heeded that it's unlikely an agreement will be reached soon.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance pointed out that "it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through."

This talk took place as Iran announced the onset of its live-fire drills and a temporary closure of parts of the Strait of Hormuz.

Third round: Geneva, most recent

The third round of talks concluded on Thursday in Geneva, achieving "significant progress," according to Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.

This round of talks has progressed into serious discussions on the elements of a potential agreement on both nuclear issues and economic sanctions, and was "the most intense so far," according to Araghchi.

Both delegations demonstrated "unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions," Albusaidi said.

Technical-level discussions are scheduled to take place next week in Vienna, Austria.