Iran signals optimism for nuclear deal as U.S. maintains hardline stance

GENEVA – Indirect nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran have resumed in Geneva with Oman acting as a mediator, as a top advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader signaled a deal could be imminent under specific conditions.

Ali Shamkhani, the Iranian advisor, said an "immediate deal is within reach" if the talks focus exclusively on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Iranian officials described the three-hour session as "very serious" and expressed confidence in the proceedings. However, Tehran maintains that any final agreement must include the lifting of economic sanctions.

Oman’s Foreign Minister, who is coordinating the discussions, said both sides exchanged "innovative and positive ideas" during the meeting.

Despite the optimistic tone from Tehran, the U.S. position under President Donald Trump remains firm. Washington continues to demand that Iran completely halt uranium enrichment, terminate its ballistic missile program, and end its support for regional militant groups.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Tehran of attempting to rebuild elements of its nuclear program. As the diplomatic talks took place, anti-government protesters gathered outside the United Nations offices in Geneva to demonstrate against the Iranian leadership.

The recent pronouncements from advisor Ali Shamkhani signal a calculated diplomatic pivot by Tehran. By attempting to confine the scope of negotiations strictly to the nuclear file—underpinned by the Supreme Leader’s religious edict—Iran is seeking a strategic off-ramp while effectively shifting the burden of de-escalation to Washington. This maneuver is a transparent effort to decouple nuclear proliferation concerns from broader U.S. demands regarding Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy networks, both of which Tehran considers non-negotiable pillars of its national security.

The current impasse highlights a fundamental divergence in strategic objectives. Tehran is angling for a narrow, transactional agreement aimed at securing immediate sanctions relief to stabilize its economy. In contrast, the Trump administration, echoed by the hawkish stance of Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio, is pursuing a more expansive "maximum pressure" objective: the comprehensive containment of Iran’s military and geopolitical footprint. This hardline posture suggests that Washington remains deeply skeptical of Tehran’s nuclear commitments and is holding out for a "grand bargain" far more restrictive than the original 2015 framework.

In this high-stakes environment, Oman has emerged as an indispensable intermediary, providing a vital backchannel where direct trust is non-existent. The trajectory of these discussions will have profound implications for Middle Eastern stability and global energy volatility. A diplomatic breakthrough, even an interim "freeze-for-freeze" agreement, would likely facilitate the return of Iranian crude to global markets, exerting downward pressure on oil prices. Conversely, a failure to find common ground ensures a continued era of regional friction and sustained uncertainty for global energy benchmarks.

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