Iran Talks End Without a Deal — Vienna Round Scheduled for Monday
The evening update on where Iran talks landed after six hours in Geneva, what Hillary Clinton's Epstein testimony actually produced, and what's still moving tonight.
Six hours of indirect negotiations in Geneva concluded this evening without a breakthrough, but also without a collapse. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi — who shuttled between delegations all day — said there had been "significant progress" and confirmed technical talks will resume in Vienna on Monday. Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi called it the "longest, most serious" round yet and said elements of a potential agreement are "taking shape." Two U.S. sources told NBC News the administration viewed the day as "positive." A separate Axios source said Witkoff and Kushner were "disappointed" after the morning session — it's not clear whether the afternoon changed that assessment.
What the talks did not resolve: Iran's 10,000 kg stockpile of enriched uranium, the ballistic missile program, and the fundamental question of whether any deal will have an expiration date.
The U.S. position remains that any agreement must be permanent. Iran's position remains that enrichment is a sovereign right. Those gaps did not close today.
What's significant: the U.S. team came back for the afternoon session after a difficult morning. That matters. The USS Gerald R. Ford was photographed departing Crete today, heading toward the Israeli coast — the second carrier strike group now fully in position. Diplomacy has one more round. Monday in Vienna is the next test.
What to Watch Today
Bill Clinton testifies in the Epstein investigation — Friday in Chappaqua, same closed-door format. Clinton has been more directly tied to Epstein in the released files than his wife; his name appears throughout the documents and photos of him with Epstein were included in the first DOJ release. Democrats will again demand Trump testify. Watch whether Republicans ask Clinton about specific document entries or keep it general.
Vienna technical talks confirmed for Monday — this is the next real signal on Iran. Expert-level negotiators working from whatever framework Witkoff and Araghchi sketched today. If Monday produces a written text both sides can take home, a deal is possible. If it stalls, the military option moves back to the front of the table.
Bottom Line
Today Geneva stayed alive and Chappaqua produced six hours of sworn testimony that neither side will call a win. The Epstein investigation now turns to Bill Clinton tomorrow — and the accountability question that keeps not getting asked is when Trump testifies about the tens of thousands of times his name appears in those files.