TEHRAN, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian and U.S. delegations put forward "very important and practical proposals" both in the nuclear field and on sanctions relief in the latest round of indirect talks on Thursday, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
Baghaei added that nuclear issue is the sole focus of the negotiations.
Delegations of Iran and the United States left the venue of the talks in Geneva for a brief break and "internal consultations" after three hours of intensive diplomatic negotiations, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported Thursday afternoon.
The Iranian spokesman said that the talks with the United States to resume at 17:30-18:00 Geneva time.
Oman's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on social media platform X that the two delegations demonstrated "unprecedented openness to new and creative ideas and solutions" in the ongoing round of their indirect negotiations.
Meanwhile, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that if not making nuclear weapons by Tehran is the main issue in the talks with the United States, an immediate agreement is within reach.
Ali Shamkhani, who is secretary of Iran's Defense Council, made the remarks in a post on X while Tehran and Washington were holding the negotiations.
"If the main issue of the negotiations is not making nuclear weapons by Iran, this is in compliance with a religious decree issued by Iran's leader and the country's defense doctrine, and an immediate agreement is within reach," Shamkhani said.
The delegations, headed by Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff, respectively, started the third round of their indirect nuclear negotiations in the Swiss city on Thursday morning amid heightened tensions between the two countries and a U.S. military buildup in the region.
Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Wednesday night, where he met with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. During the meeting, he outlined Iran's positions on the nuclear issue and the lifting of U.S. sanctions, while also conveying the country's views and considerations to the Omani side, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. ■
