Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, was on a simultaneous diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia. As part of his continued regional consultations, he will visit Qatar to further develop the counter-ISIS coalition with regional partners. This visit comes just ahead of the fourth round of indirect nuclear negotiations. Those negotiations with the United States are scheduled to take place in Oman. The discussions aim to address pressing concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program, which has faced scrutiny since the United States’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.
The JCPOA, negotiated during Barack Obama’s administration, was a multilateral deal. It offered Iran a lifting of most international sanctions in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit its uranium enrichment capacities and allowing inspections of its nuclear power plants. Following Donald Trump’s unilateral exit from the deal, tensions have escalated, and Iran’s nuclear activities intensified, leading to fears among Western countries that it could be pursuing a weapons program.
Diplomatic Efforts and Regional Consultations
Araghchi’s trips to Saudi Arabia and Qatar are simply the latest in what he has called “continuous consultations” with regional states. These high level visits highlight a need for greater coordination, amid increasing tensions with the region and the complicated new reality of Iran’s pursuing concurrent nuclear paths. The Iranian FM should make a good show of courting support from other Gulf states. He’s likely to talk about what they might do, as talks with the U.S. continue.
As Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi pointed out, it is vital to coordinate any efforts with non-signatories Iran and the US. He emphasized Oman’s important position as an active mediator in these key dialogues. Oman has historically served as neutral ground for dialogue between Iran and Western nations, facilitating communication and fostering diplomatic relations.
The Nuclear Talks in Oman
The upcoming reconciliation talks in Oman are a welcome return to the kind of diplomatic efforts that have been undermined for years. The focus will center on key issues: the future direction of Iran’s nuclear program, its uranium enrichment activities, and the potential for sanctions relief. The breadth and depth of these negotiations is a reflection of the contrasting views on the goals of Iran. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Many Western governments are still wary and worry that there’s an ulterior motive to doing this—namely, creating weapons capabilities.
As the talks get closer, Donald Trump’s past remarks about Iran’s nuclear program now take center stage. He called for “complete and total verification” that any of Iran’s suspected nuclear activities have stopped. He walked a difficult line in his strategy. He understood that hawkish advisors were urging him toward an escalation of pressure on Iran. Trump remarked, “There are only two alternatives – blow ’em up nicely or blow ’em up viciously,” illustrating the fraught nature of US-Iran relations.
Future Implications
Those negotiations represent a unique opportunity to shape Iran’s future. They have the capacity to fundamentally redefine regional stability and international relations. If these discussions progress, they may pave the way for new sanctions relief to be gained. We hope this will lead to a new sense of urgency for greater diplomatic engagement. Despite the positive momentum, significant challenges persist. Most notably are Iran’s enrichment capabilities and adherence to popular international calls to comply with demands.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously called on the AIEA to prevent Iran from importing enriched uranium for its civilian energy requirements. He’s calling for a very careful approach to whatever gets agreed upon on this front. Striking the right balance between guaranteeing non-proliferation and meeting Iran’s energy demands will be key in dictating what the negotiations of the future look like.
