US, Iran to Hold Nuclear Talks as Military Presence Grows

US, Iran to Hold Nuclear Talks as Military Presence Grows

Source: Fortune.com

Summary

The United States and Iran will hold their next round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva, according to Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi. The talks come as Iran faces the threat of a U.S. military strike and new protests at home. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said negotiations had involved “the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals,” but added that Tehran has “made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario.” The U.S. has said Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them, while Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.


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The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the Middle East in decades, while Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful. The nuclear talks have been deadlocked for years after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal. Meanwhile, new anti-government protests have begun in Iran, with university students demonstrating around memorials for thousands of people killed in a crackdown on previous nationwide demonstrations.

The announcement sounds like a familiar phase: the U.S. and Iran engage in talks, while the threat of military action looms in the background.