Iran and the United States will hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva, amid growing concerns about the risk of military conflict between the long-time adversaries. 

The US has built up its military presence in the Middle East, with US President Donald Trump warning last week that “really bad things will happen” if no deal is reached to solve a longstanding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.

“Pleased to confirm US-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal,” said Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who acts as a mediator in indirect talks between Washington and Tehran.

Reuters reported on Sunday, local time, that Iran was offering fresh concessions on its nuclear program in order to reach a deal, as long as it included the lifting of economic sanctions and recognised Tehran’s right to “peaceful nuclear enrichment”.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian voiced cautious optimism on Sunday in a post on X, saying recent negotiations had “yielded encouraging signals”, while pointing to Tehran’s readiness for “any potential scenario”.