February 26, 2026 | 08:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iran and the United States convened in Geneva for a third round of nuclear negotiations on Thursday, February 26, 2026, amid escalating military tensions as American officials deployed additional aircraft and warships to the Middle East. The negotiations are regarded as a final diplomatic window, occurring as President Donald Trump positioned a fleet of aircraft and warships in the region to pressure Tehran into an agreement.
Trump aims to curtail Iran's nuclear program, capitalizing on the country’s current struggle with domestic unrest following last month's nationwide protests. Nevertheless, Iran remains committed to continuing its uranium enrichment despite the degradation of its program after Trump, alongside Israel, ordered an attack on three Islamic Republic nuclear sites in June.
Oman confirmed today that it has received "views and proposals" from Iranian officials concerning the ongoing negotiations with the United States.
A statement from the state-run Oman News Agency, as reported by Al Jazeera, noted that Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi received this information during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday night.
According to the statement, al-Busaidi was expected to meet with the American negotiating team this morning to convey Iran's perspective and, in turn, listen to the ideas and proposals put forth by the American side.
Oman, a sultanate situated on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long served as a vital intermediary between Iran and the West.
The Threat of War in the Middle East
Iran has declared that in the event of an American attack, all U.S. military bases in the Middle East will be considered legitimate targets, potentially endangering tens of thousands of American personnel. Iran has also threatened to strike Israel following last year’s exhausting 12-day war, a move that could reignite broader conflict across the Middle East.
"There would be no victory for anybody — it would be a devastating war," Araghchi told India Today in a recorded interview on Wednesday just before flying to Geneva, as quoted by ABC News. "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."
Araghchi will once again face Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estate developer and close associate of Trump, who is serving as the president's special envoy for the Middle East. The two men held several rounds of talks last year that collapsed after Israel launched its military operation against Iran in June.
In the negotiating rounds following the June conflict, Trump has sought a total halt to Iran's uranium enrichment while also addressing Tehran's ballistic missile program and its support for regional militant groups to ensure Israeli security.
Iran, however, insists that the discussions remain focused exclusively on nuclear issues.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed to reporters on Wednesday that Iran "is always trying to rebuild elements" of its nuclear program. He noted that while Tehran is not currently enriching uranium, "they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can."
Iran maintains it has not enriched uranium since June, though it has barred International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors from visiting the sites bombed by the U.S. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Associated Press indicates activity at two of these locations, suggesting that Iran is attempting to assess the damage and potentially salvage materials.
Read: US: Rubio and Vance Warn of Iran's Threat Ahead of Talks
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