Iran and the USA will continue their negotiations in Switzerland on Tuesday. According to information from Tehran, delegations from both countries are meeting in Geneva. It is the second round of indirect talks, again mediated by the Gulf state of Oman. According to Iranian media, the venue for the negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff is the Omani embassy.
The negotiations are, among other things, about Iran’s nuclear program. The USA wants to prevent the leadership in Tehran from building nuclear weapons. The Iranian government is willing to limit its nuclear program, but in return is demanding the lifting of tough economic sanctions. The Islamic Republic does not want to talk about other issues that have raised eyebrows from the US, including a reduction in its missile arsenal or an end to support for militant groups.
The talks take place against the backdrop of a military threat from the United States. In January, the Iranian state apparatus brutally suppressed mass protests in its own country. US President Donald Trump then threatened the Iranian leadership with military intervention and increased the military presence around Iran.
India seized three US-sanctioned tankers linked to Iran in February, according to insiders. These are the “Stellar Ruby”, the “Asphalt Star” and the “Al Jafzia”, said a person familiar with the matter on Monday. The ships’ names were often changed to avoid prosecution by coastal states, the person said.
Last year, the US Treasury Department placed three ships with the same identification numbers as the tankers captured by India on its sanctions list. According to data from financial services provider LSEG, two of the three tankers are linked to Iran. The “Al Jafzia” transported heating oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025, the “Stellar Ruby” sails under the Iranian flag. The “Asphalt Star” sailed mainly in the maritime area around China.
On February 6, the Indian authorities reported on Platform X that they had intercepted three ships about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai. The post on X was later deleted. However, the insider now confirmed that the ships had been escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.
