What changed over the weekend? How will the upcoming round of talks differ in a way that could lead to a deal, whereas several rounds of talks in both 2021 and 2022 through March come to a dead end?
The room where it happens
There are hints that the US and Iran will finally be in the room together, something that has not happened since the start of negotiations in April 2021. While there might have been unofficial direct exchanges between Americans and Iranians, the official binding talks all involved shuttle diplomacy by the P5 (England, France, Germany, China and Russia) between US and Iranian representatives in separate nearby locations in Vienna.
This arrangement was demanded by the Islamic Republic and always hindered clear communication and expectations between the sides. The EU-Iran press conference this weekend hinted that Biden administration officials and representatives of Iran President Ebrahim Raisi may finally look each other in the eye. This raises expectations of this being the end game and enables the sides to know exactly where the other party stands. READ MORE
