Veteran international affairs journalist Laura Rozen reported on her Substack newsletter, Diplomatic, yesterday that Iran has agreed initially to indirect talks with the United States on the nuclear issue, and if there is progress in those steps on agreeing to a framework for negotiations, then they will go for direct talks. An otherwise unidentified Iranian source told her that if the United States agrees, the Iranian source believed indirect talks could take place, likely in Oman, within two or three weeks.
“After the U.S. agreed to indirect negotiations, Iran agreed to send a low-ranking delegation to Oman within the next few weeks, to begin talks with the U.S.,” the Middle East Spectator said in a posting about midday on April 3. “The United States has reportedly walked back some of the demands stated in Trump’s letter [he does not identify the source of that report—ed.], and says there is ‘wiggle room’ and that Trump is ‘flexible.’ As of now, Iran still rejects any attempt at direct negotiations, stating that Iranian officials will not sit at the same table with an American, unless ‘good progress’ is made through mediators.”
But he’s skeptical that negotiations with the U.S. will lead anywhere. “It seems we will engage in indirect negotiations and just try to drag them out as long as possible, with no result,” he said. “If we’re smart, we’d work on nukes in the meantime. In any case, the outcome will be the same: No Nuclear Deal. Because the United States refuses to offer guarantees and assurances.” Then he adds: “Long story short: There will be no deal, unless the Americans make massive concessions, which will not happen—and if it does, we’d be dumb not to take it.”
Then the Spectator follows up with a list of seven conditions that Iran is demanding in order to agree to a new deal on its nuclear program, the first of which is that it must be a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate. “If any of these points are not agreed to, the likelihood of a new Nuclear Deal is extremely unlikely. Many of these clauses are the result of distrust due to previous U.S. betrayal,” he said, referencing Trump’s withdrawal from the original 2015 nuclear deal and subsequent imposition of “maximum pressure” sanctions.
