US–Iran Nuclear Talks Likely in Geneva on February 17
Trump Warns Failure to Reach Deal Could Be “Painful”; Geneva to Host Multiple High-Level Meetings
Washington, DC: The United States and Iran are expected to hold the next round of negotiations over the nuclear deal in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 17, according to a CNN report.
As per CNN, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are likely to participate in the discussions. The development comes after US President Donald Trump stressed the need for an agreement with Iran and warned that failure to reach a deal could be “painful.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday (local time), Trump described his recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “very good.” He said, “We have to make a deal, otherwise it will be very painful (for Iran), and I don’t want that to happen… If they don’t make a deal, the situation will be different.”
The previous rounds of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States were held in April 2025 in Muscat, Oman, and Rome, Italy.
However, tensions escalated on June 21–22, 2025, when the United States carried out strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure under “Operation Midnight Hammer.” The attacks reportedly targeted three major sites located in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Iran strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a serious violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
The original nuclear agreement dates back to July 2015, when Iran and several world powers, including the United States, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The agreement limited Tehran’s uranium enrichment level to 3.67 percent and reduced its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms.
The deal collapsed in 2018 after President Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement.
Meanwhile, according to Russian news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that trilateral meetings involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are also scheduled to take place in Geneva on February 17–18, indicating a diplomatically significant week in the Swiss city.
