Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began a series of military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, state media reported, a narrow and strategic waterway in the Gulf.
Intensive drills were being conducted by the Guards’ naval forces under supervision of the head of the IRGC, according to state TV, after the United States deployed a large naval force to the Gulf.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has arrived in Geneva ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States, Iranian state television said yesterday, as Washington keeps up pressure on the Islamic republic.
According to Tehran, “indirect” Iran–US nuclear talks mediated by Oman will be held today, although Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed including Iran’s ballistic missiles and support for regional proxies, reports AFP.
Considerable uncertainty surrounds the fate of Iran’s stockpile of more than 400 kilogrammes of 60-percent enriched uranium that was last seen by nuclear watchdog inspectors in June.
Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the US that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday, reports Reuters.
“Common interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations,” foreign ministry deputy director for economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
“The foreign minister has arrived in Geneva at the head of a diplomatic and expert delegation to take part in the second round of nuclear negotiation,” Iran’s state-run IRIB wrote on its Telegram channel.
The top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, later wrote on X that he would meet in Geneva with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, “for deep technical discussion”. He is also set to hold talks with his Swiss and Omani counterparts as well as other international officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to the Hungarian capital Budapest yesterday that making a deal with Iran would be difficult.
