Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at U.S. diplomatic efforts in Geneva, advanced missile systems for the Philippines, and Belgium’s response to allegations of antisemitism.
One Team, Two Crises
It was a long day for U.S. negotiators in Geneva. Tuesday morning kicked off with indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks at the Omani ambassador’s residence. Lasting about three hours, the meetings concluded with a “general understanding on a set of guiding principles” and promises to exchange drafts of a potential deal, according to Iran’s foreign minister. Celebrations had to wait, though, as U.S. officials were promptly whisked to their next appointment in the Swiss city for trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia, where the conversations appeared to be less productive.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at U.S. diplomatic efforts in Geneva, advanced missile systems for the Philippines, and Belgium’s response to allegations of antisemitism.
One Team, Two Crises
It was a long day for U.S. negotiators in Geneva. Tuesday morning kicked off with indirect U.S.-Iran nuclear talks at the Omani ambassador’s residence. Lasting about three hours, the meetings concluded with a “general understanding on a set of guiding principles” and promises to exchange drafts of a potential deal, according to Iran’s foreign minister. Celebrations had to wait, though, as U.S. officials were promptly whisked to their next appointment in the Swiss city for trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia, where the conversations appeared to be less productive.
Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s day of diplomacy:
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran must broker a deal with the United States or else risk possible attack. His threats come amid a U.S. military buildup in the region, including the deployment of a second aircraft carrier. Iran insists that talks should be limited to its nuclear program, but the United States maintains that any deal must also include restrictions on Tehran’s ballistic missiles as well as its support of proxy militia groups in the Middle East.
It is unclear what Tuesday’s agreed-to principles are or when the next round of negotiations will take place. Iranian officials have said that they will not make nuclear enrichment concessions without sanctions relief. And on Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called U.S. demands that Tehran accept limits on its missile arsenal “illogical,” adding that “any country without deterrent weapons will be crushed under the feet of its enemies.”
Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praised Tuesday’s talks as being “more constructive” than a previous round of negotiations in Oman this month. “We now have a clear path ahead, which in my view is positive,” Araghchi said. Yet, he added, “this does not mean that we can reach an agreement quickly.”
Araghchi also said that Iran “remains fully prepared to defend itself against any threat or act of aggression.” Tehran appeared to stress this military might on Tuesday by temporarily closing parts of the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire drills. This was the first time that Iran has announced a closure of the strategic waterway, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes, since the United States began rushing its military assets to the Middle East.
After U.S. negotiators wrapped their Iran meetings, they joined Russian and Ukrainian officials Tuesday afternoon to mediate peace talks. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the dialogue was expected to center on territorial issues—namely, Moscow’s demands that Kyiv surrender vast swaths of its territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains opposed to such concessions. However, Trump appears to have placed the onus of progress in the peace talks on Kyiv, telling reporters late Monday that “Ukraine better come to the table—fast.”
Tuesday’s meeting was held exactly one week before the Russia-Ukraine war marks its fourth year and less than 24 hours after Russian forces launched another wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, killing at least three people and leaving tens of thousands of others without heat or power during the region’s frigid winter.
The latest Russian energy strikes show the “extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X on Tuesday—a concern that even some of Trump’s closest allies are now echoing.
The trilateral talks ended on Tuesday with no significant developments. They are set to continue for a second day on Wednesday.
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What We’re Following
Mutual defense. The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that Washington plans to deploy more advanced missile systems to the Philippines to help deter Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea. Both Beijing and Manila (as well as other regional governments) claim parts of the key maritime area.
The decision follows annual talks between U.S. and Philippine officials on Monday, during which they accused Beijing’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities” in the Indo-Pacific of having adverse effects on regional stability. China has not issued a response to the announcement.
The United States and the Philippines first signed a mutual defense treaty in 1951, but in recent years, they have doubled down on their alliance in the face of growing military pushback from Beijing. Specifically, Chinese vessels have repeatedly targeted Philippine fishing vessels in the South China Sea, firing water cannons and blockading ships to sometimes destructive effect.
In response, U.S. forces installed a Typhon missile system in the northern Philippines in 2024 and deployed an anti-ship missile launcher to the same region last year. Analysts believe that such weaponry would serve as a central element to any U.S. actions to defend Taiwan should China try to invade the island.
Allegations of antisemitism. Brussels summoned the U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Tuesday over a social media post in which he accused Belgian authorities of antisemitism. “Any suggestion that Belgium is antisemitic is false, offensive, and unacceptable,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot wrote on X. “Labeling Belgium as antisemitic is not just wrong, it’s dangerous disinformation that undermines the real fight against hatred.”
Last May, national broadcaster VRT reported on an ongoing investigation into three men in the city of Antwerp who were allegedly performing circumcisions without certified medical training. On Monday, U.S. Ambassador Bill White called the investigation “RIDICULOUS AND ANTI SEMITIC” as well as an “unacceptable harassment of the Jewish community,” claiming that the individuals were mohels (a person who carries out the Jewish rite of circumcision, known as a bris) and that he planned to meet with these men next week.
Although Prévot refused to comment on ongoing judicial proceedings, he maintained that “Belgian law permits ritual circumcision when performed by a qualified physician under strict health and safety standards.” Prévot confirmed on Tuesday that he planned to meet with White later in the day.
“No sympathy.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that Canberra will not repatriate citizens in Syria with links to Islamic State members. “We have no sympathy, frankly, for people who traveled overseas in order to participate in what was an attempt to establish a caliphate to undermine, destroy, our way of life,” Albanese said. “And so, as my mother would say, ‘You make your bed, you lie in it.’”
Albanese’s statement follows reports that Syrian authorities turned back 34 Australian women and children who had left al-Roj detention camp on Monday in the hopes of returning to Australia via Damascus. Al-Roj is known for housing Islamic State fighters and their families. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the individuals were turned back due to “technical reasons,” but it is unclear what those were.
Australian law designates the Islamic State as a terrorist organization, with membership punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Canberra also has the ability to strip dual nationals of their Australian citizenship if they are a member of the group. However, rights activists continue to urge countries to repatriate their citizens who are trapped in Syria, arguing that many of the detainees in these camps were forcibly trafficked or born into the Islamic State.
Odds and Ends
Millions of people ushered in the Lunar New Year on Tuesday with classic traditions: fireworks, parades, and … posters featuring Draco Malfoy. The fictional antagonist from the Harry Potter series became a surprise symbol of celebrations kicking off the Year of the Horse in China. That’s because “Malfoy” is transliterated to “Ma Er Fu” in Mandarin; since Ma means “horse” and Fu means “good fortune,” the name sounds like an ode to the Chinese zodiac. And if that wasn’t enough, Tuesday marked the end of the Year of the Snake (aka the symbol of the Slytherin house, of which Malfoy is a member).
