‘I’ll Be Involved Indirectly’: Trump On High-Stakes US-Iran Nuclear Talks In Geneva

Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 07:15 IST

The US has deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, and officials have indicated the military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained campaign.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would be involved “indirectly" in the upcoming high-stakes nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, adding that he believes Iran wants to reach a deal.

“I’ll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they’ll be very important," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. He suggested that Tehran had learned from past confrontations and may now be more inclined to negotiate.

“I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal," Trump said, recalling that the US had previously carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. “We could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in to knock out their nuclear potential. And we had to send the B-2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable."

Tensions remain high ahead of the talks. The US has deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, and officials have indicated that the military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained campaign if diplomacy fails. Before the June strikes, talks had stalled over Washington’s demand that Iran forgo uranium enrichment on its soil, which the US views as a potential pathway to developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran, however, has maintained that it will not accept zero enrichment and is willing to discuss only curbs on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he was in Geneva to “achieve a fair and equitable deal," adding, “What is not on the table: submission before threats." Tehran has also rejected expanding negotiations to include its missile programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been pressing Iran to account for its stockpile of 440 kg of highly enriched uranium and to allow full inspections at key sites bombed last year. Meanwhile, Iran has conducted military drills in the Strait of Hormuz and warned it could close the vital waterway in response to any attack, a move that could disrupt global oil supplies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said reaching a deal would be difficult but acknowledged there was “an opportunity here to diplomatically reach an agreement."

News world ‘I’ll Be Involved Indirectly’: Trump On High-Stakes US-Iran Nuclear Talks In Geneva

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