Iran warns US to drop ‘excessive demands’ as nuclear talks continue

Iran has urged the United States to abandon what it calls “excessive demands” if nuclear negotiations are to succeed, following a tense round of talks in Geneva.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the comments during a phone call with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, saying that progress requires “seriousness and realism” from Washington and caution against “miscalculations.”

The warning comes amid renewed friction over Iran’s ballistic missile programme and uranium enrichment. US President Donald Trump recently said Tehran has missiles capable of threatening Europe and US bases overseas, and is developing systems that could reach the United States.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that Iran is positioning itself to scale up uranium enrichment and criticised Tehran for refusing to negotiate over its missile programme, calling it a major barrier to a deal.

Iran, however, maintains that its missile programme is strictly defensive and that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.

The Geneva talks, the third round mediated by Oman, aim to prevent escalation as the US increases its military presence in the region. Officials from both Iran and Oman described the discussions as productive, with technical-level meetings scheduled Monday in Vienna ahead of a fourth round expected next week.

The renewed diplomacy underscores the delicate balance between advancing negotiations and managing rising regional tensions, as both sides seek a path toward a potential agreement.