Tussle for a Deal Before Trump's Visit: US Tighten Screw on Iran Nuclear Negotiations
United States Prepares for High-stakes Nuclear Talks with Iran, Pressuring for Maximum Concessions
On the heels of US President Trump's forthcoming Middle East trip, a tense negotiation dance between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclearprogram is in full swing. Today, in the Omani capital of Muscat, Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi are set to clash in their fourth round of talks, with no agreement on the horizon.
The Gulf state of Oman is playing peacemaker between the two forces, who have consistently threatened each other militarily in recent years. The scheduled talks were postponed from May 4 in Rome for "logistical reasons," although experts believe that the delay may be due to differences in negotiating positions, according to recent reports.
The Great Divide over Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
At the heart of the debate is Iran's nuclear program and its intentions. While Iran contends it is solely pursuing civil purposes, western powers fear that Tehran is building an atomic bomb. Recenty, Iranian officials have fueled discussions by calling for nuclear weapons for military deterrence. President Trump has issued threats to bomb Iran if no agreement is reached.
The disputes began in 2015, when Iran agreed to the Vienna nuclear deal after prolonged negotiations with five Western powers and Russia and China. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the pact in 2018 and imposed new sanctions. In response, Iran ceased complying with the agreement's terms. Now, President Trump is seeking a new deal.
Unyielding Demands from the US
Witkoff is entering the fray with maximal demands, as he made clear in a recent interview with the right-wing populist online portal Breitbart. His key conditions are that Iran must entirely renounce its uranium enrichment program, possess no centrifuges, and not be equipped to build a weapon. In its current state, Iran enriches uranium up to a purity of 60 percent, far beyond the 3.67 percent maximum allowed under the Vienna nuclear deal and considered too high for civilian purposes. Insiders expect that Tehran will not accept the US demand and will instead import fuel rods for its civil nuclear program in the future, as the nuclear program is deeply rooted in national pride within the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian leadership sees a new deal as contingent on both de-escalation of military tensions in the region and lifting of sanctions. Cut off from international payment systems, the Iranian government continues to generate its main revenues through oil sales, with China being its largest customer.
Sources: ntv.de, sba/dpa, cnn.com
- Iran
- Iran's Nuclear Program
- USA
Insights:
- The latest round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran, scheduled for May 4 in Rome, have been postponed for "logistical reasons," but experts believe it's due to differences in negotiating positions[3].
- A key US demand is that Iran must take "verifiable and irreversible" steps before any sanctions relief can be considered[4].
- Iran has long viewed its nuclear program as a symbol of national pride and has expressed concerns that any deal could be a trap, increasing tensions[5].
- The US aims to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons while seeking peace in the Middle East[5].
- The forthcoming talks in Oman between Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi are centered around the Iranian nuclear program, a contentious issue that has led to military threats between the two parties.
- In a recent interview with Breitbart, Witkoff laid out his maximal demands for Iran, which include an outright renunciation of its uranium enrichment program, a ban on centrifuges, and disarmament of any capability to build a weapon, due to Western powers' fears that Tehran may be building an atomic bomb.
- As part of the disputes, Iran has signaled that any potential new deal would depend on de-escalation of regional military tensions and the removal of sanctions, with China being its largest customer for oil sales, a significant source of revenue for the Iranian government.
- With the US's aim to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and promote peace in the Middle East, a general-news topic of interest is the current state of community policy and employment policy, particularly regarding negotiations and diplomatic ties between Iran and the US.
