On Friday, following the Thursday talks in Geneva, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said a deal, while possible, requires "seriousness and realism from the other side and avoidance of any miscalculation and excessive demands".

Aragchi is standing pat on Iran's ?red lines,” while declaring ?good progress,” a tactic seen in Washington as a delaying strategy that allows Tehran to preserve and expand its nuclear capabilities.

Meanwhile, the US military buildup in the region continues — raising concerns that diplomacy may be stalling and that pressure could have to shift back to coercive options to prevent Tehran from nearing weapons capability, as per The Guardian.

Known as Task Force Scorpion, the unit has evolved from an experimental program into a fully operational squadron embedded within the largest American military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a deployment Trump ordered to pressure Tehran into negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The unit operates the Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, a one-way attack drone produced by Arizona-based SpektreWorks that US Central Command estimates costs roughly $35,000 per unit.

The lightweight drones can be deployed for strike missions, reconnaissance and maritime operations, and are "designed to operate autonomously" with "an extensive range," according to a CENTCOM statement.