MUSCAT, Oman — The secluded sultanate of Oman is once again the backdrop for negotiations between Iran and the United States, as both sides aim to hash out a deal regarding Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The talks, set to commence on Saturday, focus on limiting Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for lifting some of the stringent economic sanctions imposed by Washington, which have plagued the Islamic Republic for decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued stern warnings of potential airstrikes aimed at Iran’s nuclear facilities should a deal fail to materialize.
Given the escalating tensions, Iranian officials have increasingly conveyed their readiness to pursue nuclear weapons, with a substantial stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
The choice to return to Muscat for the negotiations remains unexplained by either negotiating party.
However, Oman has played a pivotal mediator role between Tehran and Washington in the past.
The previous talks in Rome had provided a neutral ground, but recent events, including the mourning period following the death of Pope Francis and the ensuing media attention, prompted a shift back to Oman.
The Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, was confronted by a media swarm in Muscat, underscoring the international stakes involved in the discussions.
Despite the focus on the negotiations, Araghchi humorously brushed off inquiries about the talks, stating, “I’m here for the book,” while promoting his latest memoir, “The Power of Negotiation,” at the Muscat International Book Fair.
Iran’s strategic positioning has seen support from China and Russia, with Araghchi recently visiting both countries to align interests.
On Thursday, representatives from China, Iran, and Russia met with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations body set to oversee compliance with any potential agreement.
The IAEA previously verified terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, a collaboration involving major world powers, including China and Russia.
However, current restrictions placed by Iran on IAEA inspections have exacerbated international fears about the potential diversion of nuclear materials for non-peaceful purposes.
No official summary from the IAEA regarding Thursday’s talks has emerged.
However, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the three nations recognized the agency’s potential to contribute constructively to the negotiation process.
They emphasized that political and diplomatic engagement, founded on mutual respect, is essential for resolving the nuclear issue.
The Trump administration’s direct negotiations have notably excluded France, Germany, and the U.K., focusing instead on U.S.-Iran dynamics.
This pattern also reflects U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s discussions with Russia concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as he traveled to Moscow ahead of the Muscat talks.
Despite keeping these countries at bay, Araghchi expressed willingness to visit Berlin, London, and Paris for further discussions, stating that the opportunity now lies with the E3 countries.
“The ball is now in the E3’s court,” he stated on social media, urging action to overcome constraints placed by private interests.
From the U.S. side, the technical team is led by Michael Anton, director of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s policy planning staff, who lacks the experience of his predecessors involved in the 2015 negotiations.
Anton has an allegorical background, once describing the 2016 election as a “charge the cockpit or you die” vote, expressing concerns over a potential Hillary Clinton presidency.
Senator Rubio reiterated a hardline stance, asserting that Iran must cease its enrichment of uranium completely.
“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries can have one, and that is they import enriched material,” Rubio stated.
Nonetheless, former CIA Director Bill Burns, who participated in past negotiations, expressed skepticism about Iran’s willingness to abandon its enrichment program, as Libya did in 2003.
“I don’t personally think that this Iranian regime is going to agree to… zero domestic enrichment,” Burns predicted during a recent talk.
This insight casts doubt over the feasibility of reaching an agreement based purely on demands for the cessation of enrichment.
In the context of military readiness, Israel remains a significant factor in these negotiations, having conducted airstrike campaigns against Iranian facilities in the past.
As Israel’s military prepares for possible Iranian missile responses amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, tensions continue to escalate.
Araghchi described Iranian security services as being “on high alert” due to previous instances of sabotage aimed at provoking responses from Tehran.
However, there remains a sense of hope among the Iranian populace about the negotiations’ potential success.
The Iranian rial has made a notable recovery from historic lows, leading to optimism for a diplomatic resolution.
Tehran resident Farzin Keivan voiced a pragmatic viewpoint, stating, “It’s OK to negotiate, to make the nuclear program smaller or bigger, and reach a deal.
Of course, we shouldn’t give them everything. After all, we’ve suffered a lot for this program.”
This highlights the mixed sentiments among the Iranian public as negotiations proceed.
The outcome of these talks will have profound implications not only for Iran but for regional stability and international relations in a historically complex diplomatic landscape.
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