“I'll be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they'll be very important,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.“I hope they're going to be more reasonable,” Trump added.
The upcoming Geneva session marks a continuation of the nuclear dialogue, with US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner expected to attend.
When asked about the potential for an agreement, Trump said Iran has historically taken a hard line but learned lessons from last summer’s US strikes on its nuclear sites. He suggested Tehran is now more inclined to negotiate.
Before the US strikes in June, negotiations had stalled over Washington’s insistence that Iran halt uranium enrichment that can lead toward nuclear weapons capability.
““I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” Trump said. "It will be very important. Iran is a tough negotiator, but I would say they are bad negotiators, as we could have had a deal instead of sending out B-2s (B-2 Bombers) to knock out their nuclear potential. I hope they are going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal... We have peace in the Middle East. You will see some flames here and there, but we essentially have peace in the Middle East. That happened because we did a B-2 attack on the nuclear potential. They would have had a nuclear weapon within one month. If that happened, it would have been a whole different deal," Trump said, referencing the stealth bombers used in the attacks.
The talks follow the initial indirect round in Oman on February 6, during which Iran insisted on the right to enrich uranium, while the US sought broader discussions on missiles and regional proxies, including Hezbollah. Both sides described the first meeting as a “good start,” despite lingering differences.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that President Trump favors diplomatic solutions and that the administration remains focused on negotiations.
Iran conducted a military exercise on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane and oil route from Gulf nations, which have been advocating for diplomacy to ease tensions.
These remarks differ from comments he made on Friday, when he suggested regime change in Iran and criticized decades of stalled negotiations.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog in Geneva, posting on X that he was there to “achieve a fair and equitable deal.”
“What is not on the table: submission before threats,” Araqchi said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly requested clarity on Iran’s 440 kg (970 pounds) stockpile of highly enriched uranium following last year’s Israeli-U.S. strikes and has sought full access to the sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Iran has warned it may close the Strait of Hormuz in response to any attack, which would disrupt roughly one-fifth of global oil exports and drive up crude prices.
Washington wants to discuss non-nuclear issues, such as Iran’s missile program, but Tehran insists its missile capabilities are off the table and will only discuss nuclear restrictions in return for sanctions relief.
During a visit to Hungary on Monday, Rubio described reaching a deal with Tehran as challenging.
“I think that there's an opportunity here to diplomatically reach an agreement ... but I don't want to overstate it either,” Rubio said.
“It's going to be hard. It's been very difficult for anyone to do real deals with Iran, because we're dealing with radical Shia clerics who are making theological decisions, not geopolitical ones. Doing a deal with Iran is not easy,” Rubio said.
Iran is run by “radical Shia clerics” who “make policy decisions on the basis of pure theology,” he added.
Still, Rubio said the U.S. remains committed to diplomacy: “We've always said it's hard, but we're going to try. That's what the president (Donald Trump) is trying.”
“I'm certainly not going to negotiate with Iran here in front of the press and on the stage. Our negotiators are on their way there now. They'll have meetings. We'll see what happens," he said.
“The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things,” Rubio added.
“I think there's an opportunity here to diplomatically reach an agreement that addresses the things we're concerned about.”
