Switzerland ready to offer good offices to ease US-Iran dialogue between the two nations, spokesman says<\/p>\n
A staff member removes the Iranian flag from the stage after a group picture with foreign ministers and representatives of the US, Iran, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, France and the European Union during Iran nuclear talks at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria on July 14, 2015. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS <\/p>\n
Switzerland said on Saturday that Oman would host talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva next week, with Washington pushing Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cSwitzerland stands ready at all times to offer its good offices to facilitate dialogue between the US and Iran,\u201d a Swiss foreign ministry spokesman told AFP.<\/p>\n
On February 6, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks in Oman <\/a>with US envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump\u2019s influential son-in-law Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n The talks were indirect, with the Omanis acting as mediators.<\/p>\n Trump has recently focused his military threats <\/a>on Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme, which US forces struck last July during Israel\u2019s unprecedented 12-day war with Iran.<\/p>\n Trump said on Friday that a change of government in Iran would be the \u201cbest thing that could happen\u201d, as he sent a second<\/a> aircraft carrier to the Middle East, ratcheting up military pressure on the Islamic republic.<\/p>\n Go-between<\/p>\n Switzerland has played a key role in diplomatic relations between Iran and the US\u00a0for decades.<\/p>\n