What we covered here
• Iran talks: While “progress was made” during today’s discussions in Geneva, the US expects to receive detailed proposals from the Iranian government in the next two weeks to address gaps between their positions, US officials said. Iran’s foreign minister said the two sides agreed on “guiding principles” for talks, but more work is needed.
• Russia-Ukraine discussions: A US delegation — led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — also joined talks in Geneva aimed at resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine. The talks focused on “practical issues,” according to Kyiv’s lead negotiator, and will continue tomorrow.
• Back in Washington: The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down amid a bitter policy fight over reforms to federal immigration enforcement. The White House rejected a Democratic counteroffer, an official said, with the two sides “pretty far apart” on any agreement.
Our live coverage of the Trump administration has ended for the day. Get the latest here.
Top White House staffers meet with Cabinet members, GOP strategists to discuss midterms
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff James Blair met with some members of the president’s Cabinet and Republican political strategists Tuesday night to discuss midterm election strategy, a source familiar told CNN.
The source said a few presentations would be given during the strategy session at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington. Another person familiar with the meeting said one of the messages was for officials and cabinet secretaries to focus on economic issues, like lowering prescription drug prices, in the midterm efforts.
Where things stand after US delegations held talks on Iran and Ukraine today
The United States and Iranian delegations made some headway during talks in Geneva, Switzerland, today, while trilateral talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia focused on pragmatism.
If you’re just joining us, here’s where things stand after the first day of diplomatic discussions:
Iran:
- Directional framework for talks: Iran and the United States agreed on “guiding principles” for talks, but noted more work needs to be done, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. He added that today’s talks were more “serious” than earlier talks in Oman, describing them as “positive.” Araghchi said the two sides had agreed to prepare draft texts of an agreement and exchange them before the next round of talks.
- US expectations: The US expects to receive detailed proposals from the Iranian government to address gaps in the positions of the two countries following talks in Geneva, US officials said. “Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” the official said.
- Posturing continues: Meanwhile, Iran closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz today for what it said were safety reasons as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducts naval exercises, according to Iranian media. This comes as the US increases its own military assets in the region.
Ukraine:
- Officials focus on pragmatism: The first day of US-brokered talks in Geneva between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators focused on “practical issues and the mechanisms of possible solutions,” Kyiv’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov said. Shortly after they concluded for the day, Russian state media agency TASS reported that the talks were “very tense,” citing an anonymous source from the Russian negotiating team. Negotiations will resume tomorrow.
- Protesters advocate to end war: Supporters of Ukraine gathered outside the hotel where the peace talks were taking place. Some people outside the venue wore Ukrainian flags and held placards with messages in support of Ukraine.
- On the ground in Ukraine: Russia launched another series of attacks on Ukraine this morning, local officials said, hours before today’s talks. Separately, Kyiv’s mayor said that over 1,000 residential buildings there still lack heat due to Russian attacks on a power plant.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Svitlana Vlasova, Max Saltman, Kylie Atwood, Jennifer Hansler, Zachary Cohen Victoria Butenko, Anna Chernova, Nadeen Ebrahim, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Billy Stockwell contributed to this report.
Iran temporarily closes Strait of Hormuz for military drills as US pressure mounts
Iran said Tuesday it had temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz for a naval exercise in a show of force that came as it held negotiations with the US on Tehran’s nuclear program.
The drills by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps involved advanced missile systems and patrol ships simulating attacks on hostile targets and the seizure of a oil tanker, according to state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
The closure took several hours and according to IRIB was meant to demonstrate Iran’s ability to control shipping traffic in the strategic waterway.
The show of force comes as the US increases military pressure on the country by building up air and naval assets in the region as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continue. IRGC commanders said the exercise was aimed at ensuring the security of navigation in the area and deterring potential adversaries.
Vance says Trump has set "red lines” after US-Iran talks in Geneva
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that President Donald Trump “has set some red lines” that Iranian negotiators “are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through,” following a round of discussions between the United States and Iran in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Now, we would very much like, as the president has said, to resolve this through a conversation in a diplomatic negotiation, but the president has all options on the table,” Vance told Fox News, underscoring the administration’s readiness to escalate if necessary.
“And one thing about the negotiation … in some ways it went well,” he said, adding, “they agreed to meet afterwards, but in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”
US officials said that while “progress was made” during Tuesday’s meetings, significant differences remain between the two sides. The United States expects Iran to submit more detailed proposals within the next two weeks aimed at narrowing the gaps and clarifying its positions.
White House rejects latest Democratic offer to end DHS shutdown
We’ve just gotten an update on the continued gridlock over funding the Department of Homeland Security.
The White House rejected Democrats’ latest offer to end the partial government shutdown, according to a White House official, saying the two sides remain “pretty far apart” on any agreement.
Democrats have insisted on additional oversight over federal immigration enforcement before they will help pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which covers a wide array of government departments including the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The partial shutdown has been going on for days with no immediate end in sight.
Talks focused on "practical issues," Ukrainian negotiator says
US-brokered talks in Geneva between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have ended for the day, according to Kyiv’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov.
“The discussions focused on practical issues and the mechanisms of possible solutions,” Umerov said in his post, which thanked US mediators for “their constructive engagement and readiness to work at a steady pace.”
Video obtained by CNN shows Umerov leaving the Geneva hotel where talks were held. He did not respond to questions from reporters as he got into a car.
Shortly after they concluded for the day, Russian state media agency TASS reported that the talks were “very tense,” citing an anonymous source from the Russian negotiating team. Negotiations will resume Wednesday.
CNN’s Nina Subkhanberdina contributed.
Political talks have ended for the day, Ukrainian delegation source says
Talks between Russia and Ukraine have ended between the two sides’ political negotiators, a source within Ukraine’s delegation told CNN on Tuesday. Military negotiators are still meeting, however.
The source added that both groups will reconvene tomorrow morning, with statements expected from the negotiating parties once talks conclude.
Shortly afterwards, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that talks had ended after four and a half hours.
US expects detailed proposals from Iran following Geneva talks
The US expects to receive detailed proposals from the Iranian government to address gaps in the positions of the two countries following talks in Geneva today, US officials said.
The readout appeared positive, but it comes as the US military continues to build up its posture in the Middle East. President Donald Trump has warned Iran of a “very traumatic” outcome if they don’t agree to a deal in the coming weeks.
The Iranians have indicated through intermediaries leading up to the talks that they could move some of their uranium stockpiles to Russia and that they would be open to economic deals with the US as part of a new nuclear agreement, but it’s unclear if those specific issues came up at the talks on Tuesday, sources said.
The Iranians have also signaled that they would be open to halting enrichment for a period, but have said that a permanent ban on enrichment is unacceptable, sources said.
This is what's on Trump's schedule today
While his negotiators hash out foreign policy in Geneva, President Donald Trump has three events on his public schedule for this afternoon, none of which are open to press.
- At 2 p.m. ET, he participates in an ambassador credentialing.
- Then at 4 p.m. ET, Trump has a policy meeting.
- The president has another policy meeting at 5 p.m. ET.
We’ll let you know if we get any updates.
While Ukraine-Russia talks proceed in Geneva, over 1,000 homes in Kyiv have no heat
As talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine proceed in a Geneva hotel, Kyiv’s mayor says that over 1,000 residential buildings there still lack heat due to Russian attacks on a power plant.
According to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, 1,100 residential buildings in Ukraine’s capital lack heat due to “critical damage” sustained at a nearby power plant. Klitchko said that 2,600 buildings have had heat restored after an attack on February 12.
It is currently around 16 degrees Fahrenheit in Kyiv.
Russia has frequently attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent months, forcing Ukrainian energy workers to improvise new safety procedures to make sure the power stays on. In January, an energy worker showed CNN the sandbag-lined steel capsule he’s used to take shelter during dozens of attacks on the power plant where he works.
“It’s scary, of course,” Oleksandr Adamenko told CNN. “But we overcome our fears and tell ourselves that we have to stay because of the equipment, first and foremost, to keep people warm. Otherwise, who will do it, if not us?”
US and Iran agreeing on scope of negotiations would be progress, says analyst
After Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran and Washington had agreed on “guiding principles” for their negotiations, a leading analyst of Iranian affairs has said this would represent progress, if confirmed by the US side.
Vaez cautioned, however, that the “substance” of the negotiations would take far longer than the “scope.” In the talks that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Vaez said “it took two and a half years to negotiate the substance.” Iran’s negotiating position is weaker this time, he said, because its nuclear program was severely damaged by US and Israeli strikes in June.
Ultimately, Vaez said the success of the talks would depend on whether both sides tempered their demands.
Supporters of Ukraine gather in Geneva as city hosts peace talks
Supporters of Ukraine gathered outside the InterContinental hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday — where peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US are currently underway.
Some people outside the venue wore Ukrainian flags and held placards with messages in support of Ukraine. In other parts of the city, protesters held up banners reading “STOP KILLING UKRAINIANS!” and “STOP THE WAR NOW.”
Meanwhile in DC, Democrats sent counteroffer on DHS reforms to White House
As talks on Iran and Ukraine are happening today overseas, here’s the latest on the partial government shutdown back in the US.
Democrats last night sent a counteroffer to the White House on Department of Homeland Security reforms they want to see, a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
It comes as negotiations to restore funding to DHS have been moving very slowly, and lawmakers are on a weeklong recess.
Ahead of the counteroffer, Trump said yesterday evening aboard Air Force One that he’s willing to meet with Democrats to negotiate lapsed DHS funding.
Trump told reporters, “I will, but you know, we have to protect our law enforcement, they’ve done a great job.”
CNN’s Donald Judd contributed reporting to this post.
Iran and US agree on "guiding principles" for further talks, foreign minister says
Iran and the United States agreed in Geneva on “guiding principles” for talks, but more work needs to be done, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday.
Tehran’s top diplomat said that the indirect talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were more “serious” than a previous round held earlier in Oman this month, describing them as “positive” but warning that an agreement will not be reached “quickly.”
“We are hopeful that we can get this work done quickly and we are able to spend time on it. But regardless when it comes to the text the work becomes more detailed and harder,” he told state television after a second round of talks concluded with the US in Geneva.
“We have reached understandings on the guiding principles, but the drafting and writing phase of the agreement will be more difficult,” he said, adding that the date for the next round of talks is yet to be set.
Araghchi said the two sides had agreed to prepare draft texts of an agreement and exchange them before the next round of talks.
“Right now we have a much clearer picture of what work needs to happen and what work needs to continue of course both sides still have work to do to get closer together but at least now we have a framework and a clearer path to go on,” he said.
The US seeks to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, restrict its ballistic missiles, and curb its support for regional proxies threatening US allies. Ahead of the latest talks, Iran signaled willingness to discuss limits on its nuclear program but firmly rejected negotiations over its missiles or its regional proxies.
Here are the delegations representing each side at today's Ukraine talks
Today’s talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia in Geneva, Switzerland are being led by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on the US side.
Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is leading the Kremlin delegation.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s delegation is being led by Kyiv’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov.
Umerov said Friday he would be joined by several other officials, including Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, and Andriy Hnatov, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In pictures: Russia-Ukraine talks get underway in Geneva
These photos have been released by Ukraine’s National Defense and Security Council, showing the peace talks now taking place at the InterContinental hotel in Geneva, Switzerland.
The US delegation, led by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, can be seen at the head of the table, with the Ukrainian delegation on their left and the Russian delegation to their right. Several small bunches of flowers decorate each table, and three large bouquets sit in the middle of the room.
The flags of all three countries, in addition to the Swiss flag, stand behind the Americans.
For Witkoff and Kushner, it’s a day of "dual-hatted" diplomacy
A little over a mile separates today’s two hubs of diplomacy in Geneva. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff spent the morning locked in talks with Iranian officials at the Omani consulate, and are now at the InterContinental hotel for negotiations with Russia and Ukraine.
Holding two sets of high-stakes negotiations back-to-back is an unusual diplomatic arrangement, according to a former diplomat.
“It is not unusual for secretaries of state, or other senior officials with a span of responsibilities, to deal with many different issues in a single trip,” Daniel Fried, the former US ambassador to Poland, told CNN. “It is unusual for special envoys or negotiators to be dual-hatted like this.”
Fried, who also served as the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs under former President George W. Bush, warned that problems can mount if overstretched envoys are not backed up by teams of experts. “The combination of dual-hatted people who may not be adequately staffed, and who don’t have – it’s not their fault – but cannot be expected to have a mastery of the details, could lead to problems,” he said.
Rather than this being an instance of the Trump administration making the most efficient use of its diplomatic resources, Fried said it is clear that the president trusts his son-in-law and special envoy to achieve results more than others in his administration.
“But the bottom line is, you have to judge by the results,” he said. “So far, the results are impressive with respect to the Ukrainians and the Europeans” – in terms of the concessions Washington has been able to exact – “and unimpressive with respect to the Russians, who have given nothing.”
Iranian negotiators will head back to Tehran from Geneva tonight
Iran’s delegation attending talks with the US in Geneva today will head back to Tehran tonight, an Iranian official told CNN.
The second round of negotiations concluded in the Swiss city a short while ago.
Iran to partly close Strait of Hormuz for naval drills
Iran will close parts of the Strait of Hormuz today for what it said were safety reasons as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducts naval exercises, according to Iranian media.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency said the exercises – which come as the US is increasing its own military assets in the region – would simulate “real maritime threats.”
Iran’s semi-official news agency Fars said the closure would be “for a few hours” in order to “observe safety and navigation protocols” in the strait.
The naval drills come as the US and Iran resume indirect talks in Geneva, Switzerland aimed at resolving their long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
The Strait of Hormuz is located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and is the only way to ship crude from the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. Iran controls its northern side.
About 20 million barrels of oil, or one-fifth of daily global production, flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which calls the channel a “critical oil chokepoint.” Iranian officials have previously threatened to close the strait in the face of tensions with the West, a scenario that would massively disrupt global shipping.
CNN’s Anna Chernova contributed reporting.
