Iran and the United States were holding another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday to try to reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and potentially avert another war as the U.S.

Iran and the U.S. are scheduled to meet in Geneva for a third round of nuclear negotiations as American officials ramp up their military threats by moving more aircraft and warships to the Middle East

Iran and the United States were holding another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday to try to reach a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and potentially avert another war as the U.S. gathers a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East.

Iran has pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure tactics ahead of critical talks in Geneva over Tehran’s nuclear program

President Trump has kept up a steady drumbeat of threats and built up U.S. troops in the region. Iran’s task is to give him a win but also preserve some semblance of nuclear enrichment.

It was the first time the president or any other U.S. official has portrayed Iran as poised to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned of a wider escalation if his country was attacked, after US President Donald Trump raised the threat of strikes.Trump has sent a major deployment of air and sea power to the Middle East and has threatened to strike Iran if it does not reach a deal on key concerns starting with its nuclear programme.