Iran-US Talks: Ballistic Missiles Stay Off Table as Nuclear Focus Narrows in Geneva

Iran made one thing absolutely clear during Tuesday’s second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva: its ballistic missile programme was not, and would not be, on the negotiating table. This firm boundary — alongside the exclusion of Iran’s regional relationships from discussion — helped narrow the focus of the talks to nuclear issues strictly defined, within which both sides reportedly made some progress.
Foreign Minister Araghchi described the session as more constructive than the first round and confirmed that guiding principles had been agreed. Both delegations committed to exchanging draft texts ahead of a third meeting expected in roughly two weeks, a procedural step that suggests the talks are moving toward substantive engagement with actual written negotiating positions.
Within the nuclear scope that Iran defined, the discussions covered enrichment levels, uranium stockpile management, IAEA access, and the timeline for any constraints Iran might accept. Iran offered to dilute its 40-kilogram stockpile of 60% enriched uranium and to expand IAEA cooperation at nuclear facilities damaged in recent US airstrikes — a package it presented as serious and in good faith.
The unresolved nuclear question remained the US demand for a complete halt to domestic uranium enrichment — a condition Iran has consistently and categorically refused. The two sides also differed on the duration of any temporary enrichment freeze, with the practical complications arising from the damage to Iranian nuclear infrastructure adding uncertainty to an already politically complex negotiation.
The wider picture on Tuesday was one of tensions persisting alongside diplomacy. US naval forces continued their regional buildup, Khamenei issued military warnings, and Iran’s navy conducted exercises near the Strait of Hormuz. Domestically, Iran remained in the grip of a political crisis, with the judiciary processing over 10,000 protest-related cases and reformist political figures facing arrest and prosecution.