No breakthrough in Geneva as US hardens line after talks

• Washington says the Geneva talks produced no breakthrough, while Tehran points to progress on guiding principles.
• US officials keep the military option on the table as Iran signals conditional flexibility.

US officials said talks with Iran in Geneva delivered no breakthrough, underscoring a widening gap between Washington’s tougher stance and Tehran’s more optimistic reading of the discussions.

Vice President J. D. Vance said Tuesday that Iran failed to acknowledge core US demands during the Geneva talks, despite Tehran’s claim that both sides agreed on “guiding principles” for a potential deal. His remarks raised fresh questions about the trajectory of the negotiations.

Washington plays down progress

Speaking to Fox News, Vance said briefings on the talks made clear there was no breakthrough, even as both sides agreed to meet again. He added that military action remains an option amid heightened regional deployments.

Read more: Second round of Iran-US indirect talks opens in Geneva

“I will say one thing about this morning’s negotiations,” Vance said. “They went well in some respects, including agreeing to meet again. But it was also very clear that the president had red lines the Iranians were not prepared to recognize or move past.”

A Wall Street Journal report cited a US official as saying Iran agreed to submit a text within two weeks to clarify gaps in the US position.

Tehran strikes a more hopeful tone

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Geneva talks were substantive and that both sides presented ideas aimed at shaping a possible agreement.

At a news conference at Iran’s embassy in Geneva, Araghchi said Iran and the United States agreed to exchange draft texts to establish a framework before scheduling the next round. After meetings with US negotiator Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, he cautioned that a deal would not come quickly but said “the path has begun.”

Araghchi also said Iran remains ready to defend itself against any threat or act of aggression.

Military pressure in the background

The talks unfolded against rising military activity. Iran conducted drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, releasing footage of cruise missile launches from trucks and boats. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned ahead of the talks that Iran would respond to any US strike.

Read more: Iran’s FM heads to Geneva for second round of indirect nuclear talks with U.S.

The administration of President Donald Trump has meanwhile reinforced naval forces off Iran’s coast, including aircraft carriers.

What Washington wants

US officials say the central demand is a complete halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment, citing concerns about nuclear weapons capability. Washington points to Iran’s production of uranium enriched to sixty percent, close to the estimated ninety percent threshold for a weapon, and says any deal must eliminate the practical ability to build a bomb. The military option, officials say, remains on the table if red lines are crossed.

What Tehran seeks

Iran says it is open to limited steps such as exporting highly enriched uranium or pausing enrichment for a defined period, but rejects a permanent, comprehensive shutdown. Tehran also wants sanctions relief and economic openings across energy, investment, and trade, while insisting its nuclear program is peaceful and that any agreement be fair and deliver tangible gains.

The core dispute

At heart, the dispute centers on whether Iran’s nuclear capacity should be dismantled or temporarily constrained. Iranian officials frame the start of text exchanges as progress, while US officials tie any advance to immediate, substantive concessions that Tehran resists.

With military threats and diplomatic caution running in parallel, indirect US-Iran talks appear set to continue. The alternative is renewed escalation, a risk underscored by past flare-ups following stalled diplomacy and the war involving ‘Israel’ and Iran that drew in Washington and lasted twelve days.