President Donald Trump has been claiming since the NATO summit that now that Iran’s nuclear ambitions have (supposedly) been squashed, U.S.-Iran talks are about to resume. “We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don’t know,” Trump told reporters at the NATO summit on June 25.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi poured cold water on that claim during a TV interview last night. “No agreement has been made on the restart of negotiations,” he said, reported Tasnim. “There has not even been any talk of negotiations. The subject of negotiations is out of the question at present.” Araghchi explained that Iran remains committed to diplomacy, but the decision whether or not to resume negotiations with the U.S. needs to be assessed.
Behind the U.S. claims of the resumption of talks is the implied threat of further military strikes. The U.S. intends to present Iran with three baseline demands for re-entering negotiations: a total ban on uranium enrichment on Iranian soil; the removal of all highly enriched uranium Iran has stockpiled; and limitations on future missile production, reported Israel Hayom, owned by Miriam Adelson, the billionaire widow of casino king Sheldon Adelson.
The U.S. and Israel are said to be concerned that if Iran still retains a significant portion of the 60% enriched uranium, it might secretly accelerate its nuclear ambitions, or develop a radiological weapon. Intelligence agencies are now prioritizing close surveillance to ensure Tehran remains far from nuclear capability.
“The U.S. demand carries an implicit warning: if Iran refuses to surrender its enriched uranium, it risks facing another military strike,” Israel Hayom concludes. “That threat is underscored by the dual strategic success of the recent campaign—severe damage inflicted by Israel on Iran’s nuclear program, with potential repercussions for regime stability, and the U.S. attack that signaled a firm commitment to preventing Iran’s return to the nuclear path.”
