Finally the Islamic Republic of Iran and the USA are talking with each other. The outcome of theses discussions will be critical for Iran, the Middle East and, indeed, the entire world.
Israel is doing her outmost to sabotage these talks. Russia and China are watching and waiting to see how they can best use the outcome for their own interests, while European powers have been entirely absent, whether intentionally or due to exclusion.
The Islamic Republic has come to the table, ostensibly reluctantly despite Khamenei’s much publicised antipathy. Mr Trump seems to be desperately seeking a foreign policy achievement to minimise his failures in Ukraine and Gaza.
Arguably, one of the Islamic Republic’s aims could be to buy time in the absence of alternatives. The declared subject of these talks is Iran’s nuclear program but, behind closed doors, this is almost certainly not the only issue on the table. Iran’s relations with regional non-state actors and any future interventionist plans in the region by Iran surely will be key to any agreement.
The trickiest question for the US is how to achieve an outcome that moves beyond that of the JCPOA framework. An innovative solution such as involving partnership with an Arab country (e.g. Saudi Arabia or the UAE) in Iran’s nuclear programme may help resolve this intricate puzzle.
The unspeakable alternative remains a war on Iran. Given that a third round of talks has been agreed, a ‘positive’ outcome remains possible. This is an opportunity for Iran and the world to avoid catastrophe.
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