type: timeline_event The third round of US-Iran indirect nuclear negotiations took place in Geneva on February 26, 2026, mediated by Oman. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner led the US delegation while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi headed Iran's team. Both sides described the talks as the "longest and most serious" yet, with negotiators reportedly identifying the "main elements of a possible agreement." However, fundamental gaps remained: the United States demanded that Iran eliminate uranium enrichment entirely, while Iran insisted on maintaining enrichment under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.
The day before the talks, the US imposed new sanctions on more than 30 individuals and entities as well as shadow fleet vessels used to circumvent existing oil sanctions—a move critics described as counterproductive to diplomacy and designed to demonstrate toughness rather than advance negotiations. The contradictory signals of sanctioning while negotiating reflected internal tensions within the administration between officials pursuing a deal and hardliners who preferred maximum pressure. The two sides agreed to continue technical discussions in Vienna, leaving open the possibility of future progress while acknowledging that the core enrichment dispute remained unresolved.
The choice of Witkoff and Kushner as lead negotiators raised profound conflict-of-interest concerns. Both men had significant personal business interests across the Gulf region, including real estate and financial ventures in countries directly affected by US-Iran relations. Kushner's $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and Witkoff's extensive real estate dealings in the Middle East meant that both negotiators stood to benefit personally from the diplomatic and economic relationships they were shaping on behalf of the United States. The emoluments concerns were compounded by the absence of any meaningful disclosure or recusal framework, creating conditions in which personal financial interests and national security diplomacy were inextricably intertwined.