Iran says ‘submission’ is off the table, as Trump’s team flies in for high-stakes talks

The United States and Iran are preparing for a second round of talks in Geneva on Tuesday centered on Iran’s nuclear program, with Iranian officials signaling that “submission” is not under consideration. As reported by The Washington Post, the negotiations come amid escalating rhetoric and military activity in the region.

President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are leading the U.S. delegation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog in Geneva on Monday ahead of the talks and later wrote on social media that he was there “with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” adding, “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

Sanctions remain the central sticking point. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi indicated Tehran could be open to compromise on nuclear issues but is seeking relief from U.S.-led international sanctions, saying progress depends on what Iran views as sincerity from Washington.

Military posturing underscores the stakes ahead of the Geneva talks

The second round of discussions is unfolding alongside heightened military maneuvering. Separate headlines this week included the Hyatt chairman’s resignation fallout. President Trump has repeatedly warned of possible force if Iran does not curb its nuclear program, while Iranian officials have pledged retaliation in the event of an attack.

Iran announced that its Revolutionary Guard began large-scale naval drills early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. The waterways are key global trade routes that handle roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply.

Commercial vessels transiting the area received radio warnings that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, within Iranian territorial waters, could see a live-fire drill on Tuesday. The developments add to tensions as negotiators prepare to meet.

The United States has also expanded its military presence. Last week, President Trump said the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, would deploy from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East. It is joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying guided-missile destroyers that have been in the region for more than two weeks. U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone that approached the Lincoln last week.

The diplomatic effort follows earlier indirect talks held on February 6 in Oman, where American vehicles entered the venue only after Iranian officials appeared to have left. Other recent coverage has tracked the Discord age verification partner. Iran has previously declined direct engagement with the United States, including in 2019 when Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refused to accept a letter from President Trump delivered by Japan’s then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Negotiations were further complicated by last year’s 12-day conflict after Israel launched strikes against Iran in June, prompting the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. The strikes likely damaged centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Before the conflict, Iran had enriched uranium up to 60% purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade levels, though Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes.

Speaking Monday from Budapest, Hungary, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is seeking a negotiated resolution. “I’m not going to prejudge these talks,” Rubio said. “The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things.”