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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian connected Sunday (February 22, 2026) expressed cautious optimism astir talks with Washington, saying the discussions progressive speech of “practical proposals”, portion Steve Witkoff, the U.S. peculiar envoy for West Asia, said President Donald Trump had acceptable wide reddish lines regarding Iran’s atomic programme.
“Iran is committed to bid and stableness successful the region. Recent negotiations progressive the speech of applicable proposals and yielded encouraging signals,” Mr. Pezeshkian, a doctor-turned-moderate person who was elected President successful 2024 aft the decease of President Ebrahim Raisi successful a chopper accident, wrote successful a societal media post. “However, we proceed to intimately show U.S. actions and person made each indispensable preparations for immoderate imaginable scenario,” helium added.
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Mr. Pezeshkian’s remark came instantly aft Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said a 3rd circular of talks betwixt the U.S. and Iran would instrumentality spot connected February 26 successful Geneva. “Pleased to corroborate U.S.-Iran negotiations are present acceptable for Geneva this Thursday (February 26, 2026) with a affirmative propulsion to spell the other mile towards finalising the deal,” Mr. Albusaidi wrote successful a post. Oman mediated the archetypal circular of the talks successful Muscat connected February 6 and the 2nd circular successful Geneva connected February 17. While Iran claimed “guiding principles” of aboriginal talks were agreed betwixt the 2 sides connected February 17, the U.S. broadside was little optimistic and said gaps remained.
Mr. Witkoff, the main U.S. negotiator with Iran, said successful an interrogation connected Sunday (February 22, 2026) the President was “curious” connected why Iran had not capitulated nether American pressure. “The President asked maine that this morning, and he’s — I don’t wanna usage the connection frustrated… due to the fact that helium understands he’s got plentifulness of alternatives, but… he’s funny arsenic to wherefore they haven’t, I don’t wanna usage the connection capitulated, but wherefore they haven’t capitulated,” Mr. Witkoff told Lara Trump, the President’s daughter-in-law, connected Fox News.
He added that Mr. Trump is wondering “why, nether this pressure, with the magnitude of oversea powerfulness and naval powerfulness implicit there, wherefore haven’t they travel to america and said, ‘we profess we don’t privation a weapon, truthful here’s what we’re prepared to do?’”
The U.S. has deployed dozens of combatant jets, warships, 2 craft carriers, rocket defence shields and substance tankers to the region, with the President threatening to usage unit if Iran failed to marque a deal. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that immoderate onslaught connected the Islamic Republic would trigger a determination war.
Mr. Witkoff added that Mr. Trump gave him and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, who is besides portion of the negotiating team, the administration’s reddish lines. “Zero, zero enrichment; we person to get the worldly back,” helium said, referring to Iran’s atomic enrichment capableness and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. After the June 2025 onslaught by Israel and the U.S. connected Iran’s atomic facilities, Mr. Trump had claimed that the U.S. had “obliterated” Iran’s atomic programme. But Mr. Witkoff indicated connected Sunday (February 22, 2026) that Iran inactive possessed highly enriched uranium.
“They accidental it’s each astir a civilian programme, yet they’ve been enriching acold beyond what’s needed for civilian atomic use, up to 60%. They’re astir apt a week distant from having industrial-grade, bomb-making material. That’s highly dangerous, and I can’t judge that,” Mr. Witkoff said.
Iran’s authorities media reported connected Monday (February 23, 2026) that Mr. Araghchi held talks with his Omani counterpart astir the arrangements for holding the adjacent circular of talks. Earlier, Mr. Araghchi told CBS that determination was inactive a “good chance” for a diplomatic solution to the atomic issue. “One information is there, that if they (the U.S.) privation to find a solution for Iran’s peaceful atomic program, the lone mode is diplomacy,” helium said. “So, determination is nary request for immoderate subject buildup, and subject buildup cannot assistance it and cannot pressurise us.”
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry said connected Monday (February 23, 2026) immoderate imaginable statement indispensable beryllium “balanced” and based connected “mutual respect”.
Our work arsenic the diplomatic apparatus of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to guarantee the rights and interests of the Iranian nation. As a rule, we tin lone judge an knowing oregon statement that contains the characteristics of ensuring Iran’s rights and nationalist interests; some connected the atomic contented and connected the contented of lifting sanctions,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters successful Tehran, according to authorities media.
