Iran placed a concrete proposal at the center of Tuesday’s indirect nuclear talks in Geneva: the dilution of its 40-kilogram stockpile of 60% enriched uranium — material that sits dangerously close to weapons-grade purity — as part of a broader effort to demonstrate good faith and advance negotiations with the United States. The session, facilitated by Oman, ended with agreement on guiding principles.
Foreign Minister Araghchi confirmed that the atmosphere had been more constructive than the first round and that both sides had agreed to exchange draft texts before a third meeting expected in roughly two weeks. He acknowledged that the two delegations remained some distance apart on key issues but said the framework for an agreement was beginning to take shape.
The dilution proposal was technically straightforward: Iran would downblend its near-weapons-grade uranium to levels appropriate for civilian use, significantly reducing the most acute proliferation concern associated with its enrichment programme. This would be combined with expanded IAEA access to facilities damaged in US airstrikes, giving international inspectors a clearer picture of Iran’s remaining nuclear capabilities.
What Iran would not offer was a complete halt to domestic enrichment — the central US demand. Tehran framed this as a sovereign right under international law and a fundamental red line that no government in Iran, regardless of political orientation, could cross without catastrophic domestic consequences. Iran also excluded its ballistic missile programme and regional relationships from the scope of any negotiations.
The day was shaped by broader tensions: US naval buildup in Gulf waters, Khamenei’s military threats, Iran’s live-fire exercises near the Strait of Hormuz, and the domestic political turmoil generated by the violent suppression of protests. The judiciary confirmed over 10,000 protest-related prosecutions, and several prominent reformist politicians remained in detention even as the government pursued diplomacy abroad.