Iran fortifies sites as nuclear talks stall and US tensions rise

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi nonetheless described the talks as positive overall but cautioned that reaching a final agreement would take time. He said both sides agreed to begin drafting potential agreement texts, exchange documents and schedule a third round.

In Tehran, however, many voices sharply criticized what they portrayed as a lack of seriousness on the American side.

The government’s official daily, Iran, accused Washington of “part-time diplomacy,” arguing that the brief visit by US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner suggested an oversimplified approach to Tehran’s nuclear file.

“That’s the challenge of negotiating with non-diplomatic figures,” the paper wrote in an editorial, adding that if diplomacy is to replace pressure and tension, it must rely on “a clear and durable decision at the highest political levels.”

‘Side job for businessmen’

Commentators linked the criticism in part to the Americans’ decision to leave Geneva for separate negotiations related to the war in Ukraine, contrasting it with Tehran’s readiness for prolonged talks backed by a large expert team.

Reza Nasri, an analyst close to Iran’s foreign ministry, echoed the criticism on X, writing: “Witkoff and Kushner are treating Geneva like a diplomatic fast-food restaurant… Global stability is not fast food. Serious diplomacy requires focus and real intent, not a side job for businessmen.”

The website Nour News, close to senior security official Ali Shamkhani, also questioned Washington’s priorities in an article titled “Where is the real time-wasting?” It argued that accusations of stalling better applied to the US, which it said relied heavily on media optics and insufficiently specialized envoys.

The diplomatic exchanges unfolded amid heightened rhetoric and military signaling. Ahead of the Geneva meeting, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated his hardline stance, invoking a historical Shiite reference to stress resistance to US pressure.

Tehran media also highlighted an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval exercise in the Persian Gulf, describing it as a deterrent message coinciding with nuclear diplomacy.

Iran’s financial markets reacted negatively to the Geneva talks, partly influenced by reports of an increased US military posture in the region. On Wednesday, the Iranian rial weakened again, with the dollar rising nearly 1.2 percent to around 1,630,000 rials.

Risk of talks collapsing

Political analyst Mohammad Soltaninejad cautioned that drafting preliminary texts does not signal a final deal is near.

“Even if agreement is reached on some issues, that does not necessarily mean the US will act accordingly,” he told the news outlet Entekhab.

Soltaninejad said Iran is seeking tangible sanctions relief, while the US may prefer to maintain economic pressure to gain leverage on Tehran’s missile program, raising questions about whether the sides can easily align their economic and security interests.

Another analyst, Mostafa Najafi, said in an online interview that the risk of negotiations collapsing appears higher than scenarios involving even a limited agreement to manage tensions.

Moderate journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi offered a more optimistic assessment, writing on his Telegram channel that the talks still have a chance of success.

He warned, however, that fear of domestic hardliners in Iran or pressure from supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the US could derail a potentially beneficial agreement for both sides.

Families of those killed in the January 8 and 9 crackdown had called for commemorations from Monday through Wednesday. Exiled prince Reza Pahlavi had also urged supporters to attend.

In the days leading up to the memorials, families reported calls from security agencies warning against gatherings. There were reports of cemetery closures in Arak and a heavy security presence at Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery.

Videos sent to Iran International showed military vehicles and motorcycle patrols deployed in cities including Sanandaj in Kurdestan province and Chamestan in Mazandaran province.

Despite the restrictions, mourners gathered in multiple cities, applauding the slain, performing the “dance of grief” and chanting slogans.

In Abdanan in Ilam province, residents gathered in the streets ahead of ceremonies for local victims including Alireza Seidi and Yasin Elahi, chanting anti-government slogans including “Death to Khamenei,” according to videos and local sources.

Internet disruptions were reported in the area.

In Zanjan, attendees at the 40th-day ceremony for 17-year-old Mohammad Mahdi Ganjdanesh stood and applauded at his graveside. He was killed on January 8 after being shot in the head, according to people familiar with the case.

In Kermanshah, the family of 25-year-old Erfan Jamehshourani mourned at his grave during a ceremony on Monday. He was killed during the January crackdown, according to relatives.

Similar scenes were reported across central and northern Iran.

In Shahin Shahr in Isfahan province, mourners performed the dance of grief at the grave of 18-year-old Mohammadreza Ghorbani, whose father identified his body days later by recognizing a tattoo on his hand.

In Bandar Anzali, participants dressed in white and gathered for 29-year-old Milad Mianehkhah Monfared, a former youth player for Malavan football club who was killed on January 9. The ritual has become a symbol of mourning for those killed in the unrest.

In Noorabad Mamasani in Fars province, mourners sang at the grave of 64-year-old Abdolsadat Shamseddini, who was shot on January 10. In Baharestan in Isfahan province, relatives of 42-year-old Farhad Pourkaveh said his death would not be forgotten.

In Tehran, families marked the day by preparing and distributing traditional mourning foods such as saffron pudding and halva. At the grave of 24-year-old Mehdi Sepehran, a musician played handpan as mourners gathered.

At another ceremony, relatives released white doves in memory of Somayeh Yousefi, who was killed during the unrest.

The exact number of children killed remains unclear. The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations has said at least 200 students were among the dead, highlighting the heavy toll among young people.

Some outlets inside Iran acknowledged the broader impact.

The moderate Rouydad24 news website wrote that the fortieth day had arrived “despite the deep wound left on society and public trust,” and noted that no meaningful effort had been made by authorities to address it.

At the same time, the government held its own ceremony in Tehran attended by senior officials including Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, blaming what it described as terrorist elements for the violence—a stark contrast to the grassroots mourning taking place across the country.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the negotiations had produced “good progress” and opened a potential path toward a future agreement. But he also warned that diplomacy could not advance under military pressure, calling on Washington to desist from threats of force.

“Different ideas have been presented, these ideas have been seriously discussed,” Araghchi told Iranian media after the talks. He said the two sides had reached a general understanding on key “guiding principles” and now intended to begin working on the text of a potential agreement.

Oman’s foreign minister said there was “much work yet to be done,” but that both sides had left Geneva with “clear next steps” ahead of the next round of negotiations.

Axios quoted an unnamed US official as saying the talks had gone largely as expected, and that Iranian negotiators said they would return within two weeks with proposals aimed at addressing some of the gaps between the two sides.

The negotiations come amid persistent tensions and military signaling. The United States has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East in recent weeks, while President Donald Trump has warned of severe consequences if Iran fails to reach an agreement.

'Slap' against US military

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei struck a defiant tone as the talks unfolded, saying the United States would never succeed in toppling the Islamic Republic.

“The US president said in one of his recent remarks that for 47 years America has been unable to eliminate the Islamic Republic,” Khamenei said Tuesday. “I say: You, too, will not be able to do this.” He added that even “the strongest army in the world may at times receive such a slap that it cannot rise.”

Despite those pressures, Araghchi said a “new window of opportunity” had opened and expressed hope the talks could lead to a sustainable solution that recognizes Iran’s rights while addressing concerns over its nuclear program.

Still, fundamental differences remain.

Washington has been pushing to broaden discussions beyond Tehran’s nuclear activities to include its missile program, but Iranian officials say they are willing to negotiate only limits on nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief.

Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, though it has enriched uranium far beyond levels needed for civilian power. The United States and its allies believe Iran is seeking the capability to build nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Both sides are expected to exchange documents in the coming weeks before scheduling the next round of talks, with officials emphasizing that any final agreement remains uncertain.

The negotiations, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, bring together US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The talks are expected to focus on uranium enrichment levels, sanctions relief and the economic benefits Iran seeks in return.

US President Donald Trump said he would be involved “indirectly” and signaled that Tehran may be open to a deal.

“I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, referring to previous US B-2 bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear targets last year. “We could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2s in.”

Yet even as diplomacy proceeds, the Pentagon is preparing for the possibility of weeks-long military operations should Trump order an attack, two US officials told Reuters.

Iran began military drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, signaling the risk of confrontation in one of the world’s most critical oil shipping lanes.

The talks follow a failed attempt to revive negotiations last June that collapsed after Israel launched an air campaign against Iran, later joined by US strikes on nuclear facilities. Tehran says it has since halted uranium enrichment, though Western powers remain skeptical.

Iran enters the talks weakened by months of anti-government protests, suppressed at the cost of tens of thousands of lives, and by a sanctions-driven economic crisis that has sharply reduced oil revenues.

At the same time, Washington has deployed what Trump has described as a “massive” naval presence in the region.

Iran insists the negotiations must remain strictly nuclear in scope and has ruled out discussing its ballistic missile program, its support for regional militia groups or abandoning enrichment entirely. US officials have sought to broaden the agenda beyond nuclear issues.

On Monday, Araghchi met International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in Geneva to discuss cooperation with the UN watchdog and technical aspects of the talks.

Iran says full sanctions relief is an essential component of any agreement, and the presence of economic and technical advisers in its delegation reflects that priority.

Ali Za’fari, deputy head of the coffee shop owners’ union, said cafés have faced waves of closures, legal cases and official sealing orders since protests began earlier this year.

“From the beginning of the protests, there were lots of reports about cafés – from sealing to judicial cases and the closure of many of them,” he was cited as saying by the website Kafenevesht.

He said business activity has not recovered despite some customers returning. “Customers more or less came back to cafés, but the situation is not like before,” Za’fari said, adding that many venues are still closing in silence or operating only partially.

“In the past three months, 25 percent of cafés have shut down,” he said. Za’fari added that conditions worsened during the protests and that the union’s efforts to defend café owners “barely” produce results.

The difficulties facing cafés reflect broader challenges for small businesses, particularly those dependent on daily customer traffic.

The crackdown on protests and the prolonged internet blackout have aggravated an already strained economy, leaving businesses facing uncertainty as Iran remains in a prolonged economic and political limbo.

The disruption has coincided with continued tensions and diplomatic talks unfolding under the shadow of potential military escalation, further complicating the outlook for investment and employment.

Job marker on ‘red alert’

Separate data based on figures from the online recruitment platform IranTalent indicate that hiring demand across the economy has also fallen sharply since internet restrictions were imposed last month.

According to the analysis, overall hiring demand has dropped by 57 percent since nationwide internet disruptions began. The decline has been especially severe among small and medium-sized companies.

In the first three weeks of the international internet blackout, demand for new hires at these firms fell by 74 percent compared with the period before the restrictions, according to the same data.

IranTalent’s chief executive, Asiyeh Hatami, described the job market as being in a “red alert” state and warned of a wave of employment contracts that may not be renewed at the end of the year.

The figures indicate a broad slowdown in hiring activity, particularly among smaller employers.

Za’fari said the pressure on cafés has continued even after the most visible enforcement actions subsided, with many businesses shutting down without public announcements.

While some cafés remain open, he said, the sector continues to face legal, economic and operational challenges following the unrest and related restrictions.