Indirect talks between the United States and Iran resumed Thursday morning in Geneva, Switzerland, marking the third round of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program. The discussions, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi at the Omani ambassador's residence, involve U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the American side, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for Tehran.

The negotiations come against a backdrop of escalating tensions, with the U.S. amassing one of its largest military deployments in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion. This includes the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford heading toward the region, a dozen F-22 fighter jets deployed to Israel, and additional strike groups, destroyers, and cruisers. President Donald Trump has set a 10-to-15-day deadline from February 19 for Iran to reach a deal, warning of "really bad things" otherwise, and reiterated in his February 24 State of the Union address that he would not allow the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism to acquire nuclear weapons.

Iran has pledged flexibility, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stating the talks would focus solely on the nuclear issue and sanctions relief, approached with "seriousness and flexibility." Foreign Minister Araghchi echoed this on social media, saying a "fair, swift deal" is possible if diplomacy takes priority, while insisting Tehran will not relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear technology. President Masoud Pezeshkian noted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's fatwa banning nuclear weapons.

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, have accused Iran of attempting to rebuild its nuclear weapons program and highlighted Tehran's ballistic missiles as a major threat designed to target America. The U.S. seeks an indefinite deal preventing Iran from enriching uranium and addressing missiles, while new sanctions target Iranian oil sales and missile production.

These talks follow initial indirect discussions in Oman on February 6 and a second round in Geneva on February 17, where both sides agreed on guiding principles and made "good progress," according to Araghchi. Negotiations restarted this year amid Iranian protests and economic strain from sanctions, aiming to resolve a dispute dating back decades. The U.S. and Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, and Iran has vowed retaliation if attacked again.

Oil prices rose slightly on Thursday on fears of supply disruptions, though Saudi Arabia has boosted production as a precaution. No breakthroughs have been announced as of early Thursday, with sticking points including the scope of sanctions relief, uranium enrichment, and Iran's missile program. The sessions remain ongoing, with analysts noting the high stakes as Trump's deadline approaches.