US and Iran hold nuclear talks after Marco Rubio warning

{"text":[[{"start":15.83,"text":"The US and Iran held indirect talks over Tehran’s nuclear programme on Thursday, aiming to avert American strikes after secretary of state Marco Rubio warned the Islamic republic’s refusal to also discuss its ballistic missiles was “a big problem”."}],[{"start":35.53,"text":"Oman’s foreign minister Badr Albusaidi said negotiators had exchanged “creative and positive ideas” in Geneva on Thursday morning."}],[{"start":45.46,"text":"Albusaidi said the talks, which were being mediated by Oman, had adjourned for a break and would resume later on Thursday afternoon. “We hope to make more progress,” he said."}],[{"start":58.760000000000005,"text":"The talks, which featured US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner along with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, were set to continue for longer than the two rounds of negotiations held so far this year."}],[{"start":73.75,"text":"Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, described the meeting as “intensive and serious”, adding it would resume following “consultations with the capitals”."}],[{"start":87.44,"text":"He said that “significant and pragmatic initiatives” were raised regarding both Iran’s nuclear programme and the question of lifting US sanctions on Iran, something Tehran maintains is essential for any sustainable and mutually acceptable deal. "}],[{"start":104.47,"text":"Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was also in Geneva to participate in “consultations” over Iran’s nuclear programme, Oman’s foreign ministry said."}],[{"start":117.27,"text":"Rubio had said on Wednesday that Washington hoped “progress can be made” in the talks, which were to be “largely focused on the nuclear programme”."}],[{"start":126.69999999999999,"text":"But, speaking during a visit to the Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Rubio criticised Tehran for refusing “to talk about [its] ballistic missiles to us or to anyone . . . That’s a big problem”."}],[{"start":141.54,"text":"The Islamic republic had “thousands of short-range ballistic missiles” that threatened US forces and its bases and partners in the region, America’s top diplomat said."}],[{"start":153.87,"text":"Tehran also had naval assets that “threaten shipping and try to threaten the US Navy” and conventional weapons that were “designed to attack the US”, he added. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":164.82,"text":"Rubio’s comments sought to bolster the justification for a possible armed intervention, a day after US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of harbouring “sinister” intentions on its nuclear programme. "}],[{"start":178.76999999999998,"text":"“The fact that they insist, not just on enrichment, but on enrichment and locations located inside of mountains . . . you would have to lack common sense to not know what that means, or what that could mean,” he said."}],[{"start":193.01,"text":"Trump last year claimed to have “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme when the US briefly joined Israel’s 12-day war with the Islamic republic to target its atomic sites."}],[{"start":207.01,"text":"Iranian leaders insist their nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and that any agreement must recognise what they describe as Iran’s right under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to enrich uranium."}],[{"start":221.19,"text":"Tehran has also said it will not agree to separate US demands to restrict its ballistic missile programme or to curb its support for armed regional proxies."}],[{"start":231.22,"text":"Asked whether Thursday was the last chance for diplomacy, Rubio said: “I don’t think diplomacy is ever off the table.” He added that Trump’s “preference” was to “make progress on the diplomatic front”."}],[{"start":245.67,"text":"“I wouldn’t characterise tomorrow [Thursday] as anything other than . . . a set of conversations,” Rubio said. “If you can’t even make progress on the nuclear programme, it’s going to be hard to make progress on the ballistic missiles as well.”"}],[{"start":260.01,"text":"Experts have struggled to assess the size of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal in the wake of the 12-day war last year. Iran fired more than 500 medium- to long-range missiles at Israel during the conflict, and many more were destroyed by Israeli air strikes. "}],[{"start":278.14,"text":"They said it was plausible that Iran’s short-range ballistic missile arsenal is still in the thousands, however, as few were used in the war."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":288.16999999999996,"text":"Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said Tehran’s “missile architecture is the backbone of Iran’s deterrence strategy”."}],[{"start":300.36999999999995,"text":"“At its core is an extensive missile and UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] arsenal designed to compensate for conventional military weakness and to deter its primary adversaries, meaning the United States and Israel,” Citrinowicz said."}],[{"start":316.74999999999994,"text":"Lynette Nusbacher, a former senior intelligence adviser to the UK cabinet on the Middle East, said the missile estimates had been hotly debated within the western intelligence community in recent weeks. But few doubt Iran has the capability to strike nearby US bases and naval assets, which are closer geographically than Israel."}],[{"start":339.94999999999993,"text":"“They have lots of theatre ballistic missiles — maybe thousands — that can definitely be shot at US bases in the Persian Gulf region, and they have anti-ship cruise missiles on fast-attack craft,” she said."}],[{"start":354.12999999999994,"text":"Iran has threatened to escalate any conflict with the US, which has amassed its largest naval force in the Middle East since its 2003 invasion of Iraq, in the event of an American attack."}],[{"start":366.50999999999993,"text":"A regime insider in Tehran told the FT that Iran had changed strategy to one designed to impose tangible costs on American forces and assets if conflict erupted."}],[{"start":380.0399999999999,"text":"He added that Tehran was not seeking war and hoped the Geneva talks could pave the way for a new nuclear deal that would stop an American attack, but it would rather fight than capitulate."}],[{"start":393.7799999999999,"text":"“This time would not be a war game in response,” the insider said, referring to missile attacks on US bases in Iraq in 2020 and Qatar last year that were telegraphed to avoid full-scale war. "}],[{"start":408.0199999999999,"text":"“Iran would move toward escalation, targeting anything within reach from US bases to the Strait of Hormuz and American warships.”"}],[{"start":417.05999999999995,"text":"Additional reporting by Neri Zilber"}],[{"start":421.23999999999995,"text":"Cartography by Steven Bernard"}],[{"start":433.9099999999999,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1772153796_6643.mp3"}