Trump Heads to the Middle East Amid Nuclear Talks

JERUSALEM – President Donald Trump is scheduled to leave for the Middle East on Monday, following negotiations in Oman on Sunday focused on Iran’s controversial nuclear weapons program. This marks the fourth round of discussions between the U.S. and Iran.

Just a day prior to the negotiations, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei expressed support for chants of “Death to America,” affirming the sentiment to a crowd of followers advocating for the U.S.’s downfall.

Esmail Baghhai, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, labeled the nuclear discussions as “difficult but useful.” U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described the negotiations as a mix of direct and indirect talks.

“We have an agreement to continue consultations on technical aspects,” U.S. officials noted. “The outcome today is encouraging, and we look forward to the next meeting soon.”

Trump has put a 60-day timeline on reaching an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities, with the initial session having started on April 12.

Analysts like Mardo Soghom have warned that the Iranian government is likely to focus on maintaining its uranium enrichment rights. The Trump administration opposes this practice on Iranian soil.

“Iran seems to be attempting to preserve its enrichment activities at a lower level while resisting pressure regarding its anti-Israel stance,” Soghom mentioned. Khamenei’s recent address underscored that sentiment. Currently, the key issue remains dismantling Iran’s uranium enrichment operations.

Khamenei also condemned Israel’s actions against Iran-backed Hamas during his Saturday speech, framing it as a wider conflict against the U.S. and Britain as well.

Jason Brozky, a policy director focusing on nuclear issues with Iran, indicated that the Iranian side may face more challenges than the U.S. in these negotiations.

Back in 2018, Trump opted out of the 2015 nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), citing Tehran’s failures in preventing nuclear weapon development.

Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkov, underlined in a recent interview the impossibility of accommodating any enrichment program. He expressed concerns about past agreements where sanctions were lifted without equivalent commitments from Iran.

According to Brozky, both sides are eager to keep the dialogue going. Iranians historically engage in negotiations long enough to appear compliant, but they often resist making significant concessions.

The persistent issue of uranium enrichment has overshadowed talks with Iran for decades, particularly after European powers faced backlash for permitting uranium enrichment in the early 2000s.

Brozky noted that initial U.S. decisions under the Obama administration changed the narrative by allowing a certain level of enrichment.

Experts suggest that recent comments from Trump and others indicate a desire to move past this era, as Republican lawmakers have voiced their resistance to underwhelming concessions.

Meanwhile, Khamenei’s supporters continue to criticize Trump, with some media outlets framing him as narcissistic and driven by a delusional sense of dominance.

The talks in Muscat lasted around three hours, with Baghai indicating that planning for the next sessions is currently underway.