TEHRAN – Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has confirmed that Iran and the United States will hold a third round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva this Thursday—a meeting Tehran hopes will yield a breakthrough, though it remains fully prepared to defend itself should the U.S. repeat its June 2025 attack on diplomacy.

“Pleased to confirm U.S.-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday,” Albusaidi wrote on X Sunday night. Albusaidi, who has acted as the primary go-between during both the current and previous rounds, added that there is a “positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal.”

Shortly after the Omani diplomat’s announcement, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the negotiations directly. "Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region," he posted on X. "Recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor U.S. actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario."

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian negotiating team, told CBS that Tehran and Washington could reach a deal that is even “better” than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)— the landmark agreement President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in the White House. Araghchi stated that Iran is developing a proposal that includes "elements which can accommodate both sides' concerns and interests," potentially paving the way for a "fast deal."

Whether a deal is struck this Thursday depends largely on whether the Trump administration is actually ready for serious diplomacy. This past summer, Trump launched an attack on Iran in cooperation with Israel just as the two countries were on the verge of a sixth round of nuclear talks. After failing to achieve his objectives through direct war—which ranged from dismantling Iran’s nuclear program to "regime change"—Trump helped engineer what Iranian officials described as a “semi-coup” this January. He only returned to the negotiating table in early February following massive diplomatic efforts by regional powers like Turkey, Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar. In the meantime, he has flooded the Persian Gulf and U.S. bases in West Asia with additional military assets, threatening to attack Iran again if he does not receive every concession he demands.

Any further strikes on Iran would have devastating consequences for the United States and the entire region. Tehran has made it clear that it would close off the Strait of Hormuz, strike U.S. regional bases, and hit Israel even harder than it did during the 12-day war. Iran’s regional allies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Ansarullah in Yemen, and Resistance groups in Iraq, have signaled they will not stay on the sidelines this time and will begin targeting U.S. and Israeli interests should Iran come under fire again.

Iranian officials maintain they will never submit to Trump’s excessive demands, which include a total ban on uranium enrichment, caps on Iranian missiles, and the severance of ties with regional allies. However, they have signaled a willingness to offer new concessions on the level and volume of uranium enrichment, while offering the U.S. profitable economic opportunities in Iran’s oil, gas, and aviation sectors.

Analysts argue that a nuclear deal offering better conditions than the JCPOA is the only logical path for a U.S. administration whose citizens are struggling with the daily cost of living and have no appetite for another costly, deadly, and essentially futile war in West Asia. However, observers warn that Trump remains susceptible to pressure from Israel—which has pushed for a large-scale U.S. war against Iran for years—as well as the hawks in his cabinet who have taken massive donations from pro-Israel lobbies.