Trump Says He Will Be ‘Involved Indirectly’ in US–Iran Talks

President Donald Trump said on Feb. 16 that he would be indirectly involved in the second round of nuclear talks between U.S. and Iranian officials in Geneva on Feb. 17.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the talks are “very important” and that he expects Iran to come into an agreement that would restrain its nuclear weapons program.

“We’ll see what can happen, but typically Iran is a very tough negotiator,” the president said. “I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal.”

Trump said Iran could have avoided the June 2025 airstrikes on its nuclear infrastructure by reaching a deal with the United States earlier. Iran formally suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the attack.

“I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential,” he said, referring to the U.S. stealth bombers used in the June attack.

“We had to send the B-2s. So I hope they’re going to be more reasonable.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on X that he arrived in Geneva with a team of nuclear experts ahead of the U.S. talks.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal. What is not on the table: submission before threats,” the Iranian minister said in a post on X.

Araghchi said he will meet with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who is mediating the U.S.-Iran talks, ahead of scheduled discussions with U.S. officials in Geneva.

He met with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Geneva on Feb. 16. Grossi said he had “in-depth technical discussions” with Araghchi in preparation for negotiations with the U.S. side.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog had on June 12 declared Iran noncompliant and in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The previous round of U.S.-Iran talks in Oman on Feb. 6 concluded without an agreement.

Washington has sought to expand the scope of talks to non-nuclear issues such as Iran’s missile stockpile. Tehran says it is only willing to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and won’t accept zero uranium enrichment. Iran also says its missile capabilities are off the table.

Trump has warned that if Iran failed to reach an agreement with the United States, it would be “very traumatic” for the regime. Washington deployed a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East last week.

Iranian leader Ali Khamenei has said that Iran does not seek to attack any country but “will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses” its territory, after Trump said he sent “a massive armada” to the Middle East last month.

Reuters contributed to this report.