Oman FM meets IAEA chief in Geneva ahead of Iran-US talks

Iran would not develop nuclear weapons because Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has banned them, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday, adding that “the religious leader of a society cannot lie like politicians.”

“When he announces that we will not have a nuclear weapon, it means we won’t have it,” Pezeshkian said ahead of a third round of nuclear talks with the US, which has continued to accuse Tehran of seeking a nuclear weapon.

Khamenei issued a fatwa, an Islamic religious decree, banning the development of nuclear weapons in the early 2000s.

Badr Albusaidi met Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Wednesday evening ahead of indirect talks between Iran and the United States, Oman’s foreign ministry said.

The two ministers reviewed recent developments and discussed proposals Iran plans to present in a bid to reach an agreement on its nuclear program, based on guiding principles agreed in the previous round, the foreign ministry said.

Albusaidi is expected to meet the US negotiating team on Thursday to convey Iran’s views and hear the American side’s ideas, the foreign ministry said, adding that Oman remains committed to facilitating dialogue to reach a sustainable solution.

Democrat Representative Greg Landsman of Ohio said on Wednesday that the United States and its allies may need to carry out targeted strikes on Iranian assets, according to Jewish Insider.

“If targeted, defensive strikes are necessary, and these strikes are successful, the prospect of war and further violence is diminished. That’s what we should all want: an end to decades of bloodshed and mayhem by this regime. We should continue to work to weaken the regime’s ability to do harm,” Landsman said.

Landsman highlighted defensive action against ballistic missiles, rocket infrastructure, weapons depots, and nuclear facilities as potentially necessary to protect lives.

US strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back by an estimated one to two years, with Tehran now focusing on fortifying underground facilities rather than quickly restarting enrichment, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Satellite imagery shows soil and concrete being poured over tunnel entrances and deep networks expanded beneath mountains near key sites, including areas close to Natanz Nuclear Facility.

“Analysts say Iran appears to be prioritizing survivability over speed, reinforcing hardened locations instead of visibly rebuilding centrifuge halls at Natanz or Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,” the report said.

While experts believe Tehran may have concealed equipment that could support a smaller rebuilt operation in the future, there is no clear sign it has resumed uranium enrichment or moved toward a rapid weapons “breakout,” the report added.

Senior aides to President Donald Trump privately argue that it would be politically easier to sell a war with Iran if Israel launches the first strike and Tehran retaliates against US forces, even as the administration masses firepower in the region and dispatches negotiators to Geneva to test one last diplomatic route, politico reported on Wednesday.

Despite this political calculus, the likeliest military scenario under discussion is a jointly launched US-Israel operation, even as special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner head to Geneva on Thursday to try to reach a deal with Tehran over its nuclear program, the report said.

A senior official involved in the talks said those closest to the president still expect, “we’re going to bomb them,” and options range from limited “leverage” strikes on nuclear and missile sites to broader attacks that could include a “decapitation strike” against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top IRGC commanders, the report added.