Negotiations Between U.S. and Iran Fail To Yield Conclusive Result Amid Growing Crisis

Latest Developments 

• No Breakthrough: As the United States continued building up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, American and Iranian negotiators convened for crunch talks in Geneva on February 26. Two rounds of indirect talks throughout the day reportedly failed to secure a breakthrough, with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner understood to have departed the meetings “disappointed” by the Iranian side’s proposal. The negotiations centered entirely around Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities despite the U.S. insistence that the Tehran regime’s ballistic missile program and support for proxy terrorist groups also be addressed.
• U.S. Lays Out Demands: The United States reportedly arrived at the negotiations with several demands, including the complete dismantlement of Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear facilities, the delivery of enriched uranium stockpiles to the United States, and a commitment to zero uranium enrichment, with no sunset clauses in the deal. A senior Iranian official later told the Qatari-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera that all the reported demands were “completely rejected” while calling Iran’s proposal “politically serious and technically creative.” In recent days, multiple U.S. officials have highlighted the threat Iran poses, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating on February 25 that Iran was rebuilding its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and Vice President JD Vance emphasizing that “the principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
• Next Week in Vienna: Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has been playing a mediating role, said that technical-level talks will take place next week in Vienna after negotiators consult with their respective leaders. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state media that negotiators “entered very seriously into the elements of an agreement, both in the nuclear field and in the area of sanctions,” adding that there are still points of disagreement to be discussed at their next round scheduled for March 2. One senior U.S. official told Axios that the talks were “positive” without providing further details.

FDD Expert Response

“The United States and Iran remain light-years apart for good reason. Iran has always been determined to produce a nuclear weapon, a goal the United States and Israel cannot permit. Iran’s unwillingness to address other critical U.S. concerns like missiles and proxies is an additional factor. It is hard to envisage any other outcome than a sudden U.S. strike on Iran while the negotiating process is still ostensibly continuing.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

“U.S. negotiators must explain why they would entertain Iran restarting enrichment after the United States obliterated Tehran’s enrichment capabilities. Enrichment to 20 percent purity — higher than the 3.67 percent permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama’s administration — represents 90 percent of the effort to make weapons-grade uranium. Negotiators should see through Iran’s excuse to maintain nuclear bomb-making capabilities since the regime can easily import medical isotopes rather than producing them domestically.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“Total nuclear dismantlement is Iran’s only option to stop an American attack,” by Jacob Nagel

“Iran FAQ: What You Should Know,” by Behnam Ben Taleblu and Janatan Sayeh

“How US Strikes on Iran Can Aid the Protest Movement,” by Janatan Sayeh

“Countering Iran’s Covert Chemical Weapons Program,” by Andrea Stricker