Iran-US Talks Enter Critical Phase as Both Sides Agree to Exchange Draft Texts

Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States moved into a more concrete phase Tuesday, as Iranian officials announced that both sides had agreed to exchange written draft texts before a third meeting expected in approximately two weeks. The announcement followed a second round of indirect negotiations in Geneva, mediated by Oman, that Iran described as “more constructive” than the first.
The decision to exchange texts represents a meaningful procedural escalation. In diplomatic terms, it moves the process from exploratory dialogue toward actual negotiation over specific language — a development that brings a potential agreement both closer and into sharper relief. The details contained in those texts will begin to expose how far apart, or close together, the two sides actually are.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that agreement had been reached on “general guiding principles” and that progress, while real, should not be confused with imminent resolution. He was careful to emphasize that the path remained long and that significant differences between the two sides persisted.
The core technical disputes involve Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, the scope of IAEA inspection access to damaged nuclear facilities, and whether Iran would retain any domestic enrichment capacity under a final agreement. On the last point, the two sides are miles apart: Washington demands full enrichment renunciation; Tehran insists enrichment is a sovereign right it will not relinquish.
As both sides prepared for the next phase, the military and political context remained charged. US warships were positioned near Oman. Iran conducted naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz. Supreme Leader Khamenei issued warnings about the vulnerability of those warships. And domestically, Iran’s government continued its crackdown on protesters and reformists.