US-Iran talks updates: Tehran says understanding on main principles reached

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For more on the latest remarks from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of US-Iran talks in Geneva, see this dispatch from Tehran.

You can also check out our video report on the latest negotiations here.

And for all our Iran coverage, see our page here.

We will soon be closing this live page. Here’s a look at the day’s top developments:

• Iran and the US have held another round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland, amid simmering tensions over a potential military confrontation between the two countries.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says an understanding has been reached with the US on “the main principles” but issues remain unresolved.
• US Vice President JD Vance tells Fox News that while Washington wants diplomacy with Tehran to work, President Trump has “all options on the table” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
• Iranian leaders have reiterated that they are not pursuing nuclear weapons, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his country is open to “verification”.

Iran has summoned Germany’s ambassador after a huge anti-Iran demonstration was held in Munich on Saturday.

The protest, which police estimated about 250,000 people took part in, was addressed by Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah ousted by the Islamic revolution in 1979 and a critic of the current authorities.

“Following anti-Iran activities in Germany and destructive positions taken by officials of this country against the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of international law, Axel Dittmann, Germany’s ambassador in Tehran, was summoned to the foreign ministry and Iran’s strong protest was conveyed to him,” Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.

“The German ambassador said he would convey Iran’s strong protest and deep dissatisfaction to Berlin.”

Here’s more of what JD Vance said during his interview with Fox News:

• Trump has many options regarding Iran, and the US has a strong military.
• The US president has indicated his willingness to use the military, and has an outstanding diplomatic team that he has also indicated he is willing to use.
• If Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, there are many other regimes, some friendly and some unfriendly, that will seek to acquire nuclear weapons.
• Iran and other unfriendly regimes acquiring nuclear weapons would be a disaster for the American people.
• The US president will do what he believes is in the best interest of the American people, and he is taking a completely different approach to American national security.
• The president is working hard to find a solution with Iran, whether through diplomatic options or otherwise.

US Vice President JD Vance has told the Fox News broadcaster that the top priority of the administration of US President Donald Trump is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon – something Tehran has repeatedly denied it is trying to do.

According to an excerpt of the interview shared by the White House on social media, Vance said today’s talks in Geneva “in some ways went well”, pointing to the fact that both sides agreed to meet again.

“But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to acknowledge and work through,” the US vice president said.

Vance also said that while Washington would like to reach an agreement with Tehran through diplomacy, Trump has “all options on the table”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left for Tehran after participating in the second round of US-Iran talks in Geneva.

That’s according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

In a readout of talks between the top Iranian and Swiss diplomats shared on social media, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said FM Abbas Araghchi described today’s Iran-US negotiations as “very serious and focused”.

The Iranian foreign minister told his Swiss counterpart “that the two sides had generally reached an understanding on a set of guiding principles, on the basis of which the specific details in both the area of sanctions removal and nuclear issues will be drafted in subsequent sessions”.

“The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international developments, including the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the continuation of the colonial genocide of Palestinians,” the ministry said.

It added that Araghchi also stressed how important it is for all governments to safeguard the rule of law and the UN Charter, while warning of “the consequences of the normalisation of violations of international rules and norms”.

Iran has a long history of coups, revolutions and invasions, leaving it with a complex web of economic, religious and military alliances.

On paper, it’s meant to create a balance between theocracy and democracy. In reality, only one man is truly in control.

Watch the episode of Pinch Point below:

Ignazio Cassis, who heads Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, says “continued dialogue is an important step towards de-escalation in the region.”

In a post on X, Cassis said he also raised recent protest-related deaths and arrests in Iran during his talks with his Iranian counterpart, Araghchi.

“While acknowledging differing views on this matter, I emphasized the importance of protecting the civilian population from all forms of violence and upholding fundamental rights and freedoms,” Cassis said.

Iran has acknowledged that more than 3,100 people were killed during a wave of mass protests across the country this year while human rights groups have estimated that the death toll is much higher. XEn News has been unable to independently verify the figures.

There was a positive undertone in the comments from the Iranian foreign minister.

But [the two sides] are not anywhere close to calling this a deal or calling off the huge [US] military build-up in the Middle East.

And that is why Middle Eastern countries, energy markets and everybody is watching this very closely.

While these chairs are being drawn for diplomacy, the chessboard for war has already been set.

Let’s bring you up to speed on the latest developments:

• The latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks has ended in Switzerland, with the Iranian foreign minister saying that good progress was made.
• While Washington has yet to comment publicly on the discussions, Iran’s president says Tehran hopes the negotiations will lead to “tangible results”.
• Analysts say that while the negotiations appear to be continuing, questions remain unanswered about the scope of the discussions and persistent divisions between the two sides’ demands.
• UN chief Antonio Guterres has welcomed the latest talks and expressed hope that continued diplomacy will “reduce regional tensions and prevent a broader crisis”.

The Iranians have at least two bad memories about these talks [with the US].

The first one is about the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump decided to unilaterally withdraw from.

And of course, when the two countries were in the middle of negotiations in 2025, the Americans decided to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.

Both sides are saying that they are ready for not just diplomacy, but further confrontations down the road. So, people are watching to see if diplomacy can settle down these issues.

After a second round of talks with the US, Iran’s president says his country is open to “verification” and is not looking to build a nuclear weapon.

“We are absolutely not seeking nuclear weapons,” Pezeshkian said. “If anyone wants to verify this, we are open to such verification to take place.”

Pezeshkian added: “However, we do not accept that we should be prevented from using [nuclear] science and knowledge to address our illnesses and to advance our industry and agriculture.”

Tehran has insisted its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but the US and its allies believe Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes the US-Iran negotiations will “lead to concrete and constructive outcomes”, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

“He also expresses the hope that they will reduce regional tensions and prevent a broader crisis,” Dujarric told reporters at United Nations headquarters in New York.

“For us, we continue to emphasise the imperative need for de-escalation and the peaceful settlements in accordance with the UN Charter,” he said.

“The secretary-general underscores … that all concerns can and should be addressed through diplomacy and dialogue.”

Oil and gold prices have fallen after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said progress had been made in the second round of US-Iran talks.

US crude oil West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 1.0 percent at $62.25 per barrel after earlier jumping 1.5 percent, while international benchmark Brent North Sea Crude slipped 2.0 percent to $67.22.

In addition, global benchmark spot gold X fell by 2.2 percent to $4,883.85 per ounce, while US gold futures GCcv1 for April delivery declined by 2.9 percent to $4,900.80 per ounce.

Iran is considered one of the world’s major producers of crude oil, and an emerging producer of gold, with 15 active gold mines in the country.

Check out some of Araghchi’s news conference after the latest round of talks in Geneva in our video below: