Iran sees ‘good outlook’ for talks with US as negotiating team heads to Geneva

DUBAI: Iran sees the chance of a good outcome from a third round of talks with the United States, its President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday, as a delegation left for Geneva for negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

A senior U.S. official said on Monday that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are slated to meet with the Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in Geneva on Thursday.

The two countries resumed negotiations over the long-disputed nuclear programme earlier this month as the U.S. builds up its military capability in the Middle East ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic. Iran has threatened to strike U.S. bases in the region if it is attacked.

Trump on February 19 said he was giving Tehran about 10 to 15 days to make a deal.

READ MORE: Iran is ready for any necessary steps to reach deal with US, deputy foreign minister says

“In relation to the talks, we see a good outlook, tomorrow in the meeting that Dr. Araqchi will hold in Geneva… we have tried, with the guidance of the Supreme Leader, to manage this process to get out of the no war, no peace situation,” Pezeshkian said in comments carried by state media.

Araqchi said on Tuesday that a deal with the U.S. was “within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”

The U.S. and Israel believe Iran aspires to build a nuclear weapon that could threaten Israel’s existence. Iran says its nuclear programme is purely peaceful, even though it has enriched uranium far beyond the purity needed for power generation, and close to what is required for a bomb.