Three days before the scheduled start of talks between the Iranian regime and representatives of US President Donald Trump in Oman, the gaps between the two sides regarding both the format of the talks and the subjects to be discussed appear especially wide. The primary point of contention is how the talks will be conducted. According to a senior American official quoted by The Washington Post, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff insists that the talks must be held directly or not at all. The report adds that Witkoff is even prepared to travel to Tehran to conduct the negotiations if invited.
On the Iranian side, officials continue to emphasize that the talks will not be direct, and that Oman's Foreign Ministry will serve as mediator. Such statements were made by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, his office, and President Mohammad Pezeshkian. Another dispute that threatens the very launch of the talks is Iran's demand that sanctions be gradually lifted during the negotiations, rather than only at their conclusion, if and when an agreement is reached. Sources familiar with the negotiations said Iran initially demanded a freeze on sanctions as a precondition for the talks, but was forced to back down.
Another major dispute concerns the agenda for the talks. Iran firmly rejects any discussion of its missile program, particularly in light of reports that Israel is pressing the US to include this issue in the negotiations. Javan, a conservative Iranian newspaper aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote in an editorial that any attempt to bring the missile issue to the table would result in the immediate termination of the talks. Conversely, according to Israeli and American sources, the talks are expected to address limits on Iran's long-range missile program, including hypersonic missiles currently being developed with Russian assistance. US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said this is one of the issues to be discussed in order to "determine what limits can be allowed." (Read More)
