Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva for a second round of nuclear talks with the U.S. and technical discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, as Washington has sent a second aircraft carrier to the region, threatening to use force against the Islamic Republic if diplomacy fails.
While the U.S. and Iran are expected to hold talks, mediated by Oman, in the Swiss city on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have started military drills near the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint that connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Oman.
