Senate minority leader presses for clarity as US-Iran talks begin in Geneva

WASHINGTON

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on the Trump administration to provide greater transparency about its strategy toward Iran.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer pointed to ongoing talks between US and Iranian officials in Geneva as tensions remain high and questions mount in Congress about the administration’s long-term objectives.

"Today, US and Iranian officials are holding talks in Geneva, as America stands at the brink of another potential conflict in the Middle East," Schumer said. "Earlier this week, Senate leaders and I met with Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio, and everyone is asking what the plan is with respect to Iran, and we're all looking for answers that the administration has refused to give."

The issues discussed in the classified briefing were "very serious," Schumer said, but he argued that the American public deserves a clearer explanation of US policy.

"The American people deserve to hear it directly from the president and his administration. The administration should come clean and tell the American people exactly what the goal is in Iran," he added.

The Democrat from New York emphasized that confronting Iran and curbing its nuclear ambitions requires a coherent and transparent strategy.

Earlier Thursday, a new round of indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US in Geneva.

The talks come amid a significant US military buildup in the Persian Gulf, alongside a series of recent drills conducted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).