Iran, US Renew Nuclear Talks Despite Diverging Red Lines

• Iran and the US are set to commence their fourth round of negotiations in Muscat.
• Trump’s visit to the Middle East is scheduled to begin on May 13.
• Chief negotiator Witkoff states that the US red line is ‘no enrichment.’

DUBAI: Lead negotiators from Iran and the United States plan to continue discussions on Sunday regarding conflicts surrounding Tehran’s nuclear program. This meeting aims to make headway as Washington adopts a firmer stance before President Donald Trump’s upcoming Middle Eastern tour.

While both Tehran and Washington assert their preference for diplomatic resolutions to this enduring conflict, significant divisions on critical issues prevent them from finalizing a new nuclear agreement and steering clear of potential military confrontations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will engage in their fourth round of discussions in Muscat, facilitated by Omani intermediaries. This is taking place despite the US taking a stringent public position, which Iranian officials argue will hinder productive negotiations.

In a Thursday statement to Breitbart News, Witkoff emphasized that the US’s bottom line is “No enrichment. That entails the dismantling of facilities and a ban on weaponization,” necessitating the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure located in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.

“If the discussions prove unfruitful on Sunday, we will have to consider alternative routes,” Witkoff mentioned during the interview.

Trump has warned of military action against Iran if diplomatic efforts falter, and he is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16.

In response to Witkoff’s remarks, Araqchi stated on Saturday that Iran will not compromise on its nuclear entitlements.

“Iran approaches these negotiations with sincerity… if the objective is to restrict Iran’s nuclear rights, I make it clear that Iran will stand firm on its entitlements,” Araqchi affirmed.

While Iranian officials indicate a readiness to negotiate certain limitations on its nuclear endeavors in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, they firmly maintain that halting enrichment or relinquishing their enriched uranium stockpile are non-negotiable aspects of their position.

An Iranian official closely associated with the negotiations remarked that the US’s insistence on “no enrichment and dismantling nuclear sites will not facilitate progress in the talks.”

“What the US proclaims publicly often contrasts with what transpires in discussions,” the official noted, speaking anonymously.

He mentioned that clarity would emerge during the discussions on Sunday, which were postponed from May 3 in Rome due to what Oman termed “logistical issues.”

Additionally, Iran has categorically refused to engage in conversations about its ballistic missile program, and the ruling clerical leadership demands robust assurances that Trump will not back out of another nuclear agreement.

Trump, who has reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran since February, withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with six global powers during his first term in 2018, reinstating severe sanctions on Iran.

Iran has consistently asserted that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and has been violating the 2015 agreement’s limitations since 2019, significantly increasing its uranium enrichment to levels close to 60%, nearing the approximately 90% threshold for weapons-grade material, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.