2nd round of Iran-U.S. talks concludes, new talks to be scheduled

The second round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the United States concluded in Geneva on Tuesday, with new talks to be scheduled.

The negotiations, held at Oman's embassy in the Swiss city, were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.

U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner represented Washington in the negotiations. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi led a "diplomatic and specialized" delegation to the talks.

Albusaidi said on social media platform X that Tuesday's talks concluded with "good progress" towards identifying common goals and relevant technical issues. He added that "much work is yet to be done, and the parties left with clear next steps before the next meeting."

Araghchi told Iranian media after the talks that the talks were held in a more "constructive" atmosphere compared to the previous round in Oman.

"Different ideas were proposed and seriously discussed, and, eventually, we managed to reach a general agreement on a series of guiding principles, based on which we will henceforth move on and enter the text of a possible agreement," he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that the current talks with the United States are being conducted under the coordination and approval of the Supreme Leader.

He said the purpose of negotiations with Washington is to resolve issues seriously, not to engage in dialogue for the sake of dialogue.

He added that Iran earnestly seeks tangible results and hopes the process will lead to concrete outcomes.

The U.S. said some details require further discussion, Axios cited a U.S. official as saying. Iran is expected to return with detailed proposals in the next two weeks.

Speaking at the Plenary Meeting of the Conference on Disarmament held in Geneva, Araghchi said that "a new window of opportunity has opened" after today's talks with the U.S.

He expressed hope that the negotiation will lead to a sustainable solution which can serve the interests of relevant parties and the broader region.

He also reiterated that Iran remains fully prepared to defend itself against any threats or act of aggression.

After the talks began, Iran announced a temporary closure in parts of the Strait of Hormuz to comply with safety and shipping principles in its live fire drill "Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz."

After Trump returned to office in 2025 and revived a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran, five additional rounds of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran that year failed to bridge core differences. The first round of talks in Oman's Muscat on Feb. 6 this year was described by both sides as a "good start" but yielded no visible breakthrough.

2nd round of Iran-U.S. talks concludes, new talks to be scheduled

The China Media Group (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala was broadcast live at a cinema in Century City, Cape Town, on Monday, bringing the festive spirit of Chinese New Year's Eve to audiences in South Africa.

Enhanced by high-definition visuals and surround sound, the screening delivered an immersive experience, transforming the gala into a shared celebration across continents and highlighting the expanding global appeal of the Chinese New Year.

"This is my second year watching the Spring Festival Gala in a Cape Town cinema. I had great fun. It felt as comfortable as sitting on my sofa at home, and the sound effects were fantastic. This is my most important China time in South Africa each year. Watching the Gala in a cinema with my colleagues, students and their parents, and many other overseas Chinese is particularly interesting and joyful," said Wu Changhong, foreign dean of the Confucius Institute at the Western Cape University.

This year's entertainment extravaganza featured four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing, including Yiwu, the world's leading small commodities hub in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Wu and her Chinese colleagues were especially excited when Yiwu hit the screen, because most of them are from Zhejiang.

"I'm currently working in Hangzhou, and my husband is from Yiwu. So, we are proud that Yiwu is gaining global reputation," said Tang Lu, a teacher at the Confucius Institute.

Tang, along with two other teachers, Liu Tianli and Liu Xinru, commended a martial art performance by humanoid robots at the gala, saying they were shocked by the rapid development of the industry.

"Particularly, that robot performance was at a whole different level from last year's. It's really shocking that they could achieve such huge progress in just one year," they said.

The cinema audience also included local students who are interested in Chinese culture.

"I'm so excited. I wanted to experience the Chinese culture, and I really feel so good about it because I've been able to watch the music. I've been able to see the various kids. So, I feel good and happy that I came," said Benta Moigej, a South African student.

"I'm just so blown away by the large-scale production. Every show that happened, every showcase that happened, we were just left with goosebumps. I'm just blown away by, and I'm trying to imagine the amount of preparation and planning that had to go into organizing such a beautiful, large-scale production. And you think that you've seen it all, and then the next one comes, and it's better and better," said Den-Mari Jacobs, another South African student.

CMG Spring Festival Gala lights up Cape Town cinema with live broadcast