Iran and the US recently wrapped up their fourth round of discussions, and surprisingly, there appears to be some optimism despite significant differences over Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
The talks, held in Muscat for about four hours, were described as positive by the US representatives. They mentioned that, although the consultations were challenging, they aimed to clarify each party’s stance.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Aragchi, noted, “We moved from general discussions to specifics, which made the negotiations tougher.”
Before the talks commenced, Aragchi asserted that Iran would not abandon its right to enrich uranium for energy purposes. He emphasized that weapons of mass destruction don’t fit into Iran’s security framework.
He also highlighted a challenge during the meetings: the inconsistency in US statements both in and outside the negotiation room.
Aragchi suggested that Iran might consider imposing limits on certain aspects such as size and levels of uranium in a way that could foster trust, similar to what was established in the 2015 nuclear deal.
He mentioned that further discussions are anticipated in about a week. Notably, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018 and faces political pressure to secure a new deal that imposes strict limitations on Iran.
Prior to these consultations, the US administration had been leaning toward adopting more hardline public statements, raising concerns of failed negotiations. US envoy Steve Witkov implied that the US wouldn’t permit Iran to benefit from uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes, calling for full dismantling of that technology.
In the backdrop of these discussions, Israel has repeatedly advised Trump against trusting Iran, urging for a decisive end to any ambiguity surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
Witkov remarked, on Friday, that Aragchi urged the US to refrain from making demands through the media, as it complicated the negotiation process further.
A point of contention in the negotiations is that while many other nations are permitted to enrich uranium domestically, Israel operates an undeclared nuclear program. Despite this, the US argues that Iran’s high levels of enrichment and private records qualify its situation as exceptional.
