GENEVA: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the United States must drop its “excessive demands” if the two sides are to reach a deal, following their latest round of talks in Geneva.
In a phone call with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Araghchi said that “success in this path requires seriousness and realism from the other side and avoidance of any miscalculation and excessive demands,” according to Iranian state media.
Araghchi did not specify which demands he considered excessive. However, Washington has consistently pointed to Iran’s ballistic missile program and its uranium enrichment capability as a red line.
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Tehran had “already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they're working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”
Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed Iran is “not enriching right now, but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,” adding that Tehran “refuses” to discuss its ballistic missile program and that “that's a big problem.”
Iran has repeatedly defended its missile program as a core element of its defensive capabilities and has ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment. Iranian officials maintain that the country’s nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and complies with international law.
Iran and the United States, longtime adversaries, held their third round of Omani-mediated nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva. The negotiations aim to prevent further military escalation as Washington increases its military presence in the region.
Both Iran and Oman reported progress after the talks. Technical-level discussions are scheduled for Monday in Vienna, ahead of a fourth round of high-level negotiations expected next week.
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