Shafaq News- Washington

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff told a private gathering on Tuesday that the administration is demanding any nuclear deal with Iran should last indefinitely, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing a US official and two others with knowledge of the comments.

A new round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, mediated by Oman, is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Geneva. It follows earlier sessions in Muscat and Geneva this month as both sides test whether diplomacy can avert escalation amid mounting military pressure and fresh US sanctions.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday there is an opportunity to reach an “agreed, just, and balanced solution” with the United States. In an interview with India Today, he ruled out any compromise on Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology, insisting there is “no military option” to resolve what he described as a peaceful nuclear file. He accused Israel of “seeking to drag” Trump into a conflict with Iran, claiming Israel “wants war” and that Trump has been “misled by fake news.”

Earlier today, US Vice President JD Vance said he hopes Iran approaches the Geneva talks seriously, reiterating that Washington will not allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump has also said he prefers a diplomatic resolution but warned he would never permit Iran to develop such a capability.