ABNA24 - After the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire last week, they met in Islamabad on Saturday for talks to secure a deal surrounding matters of contention, especially the Iranian nuclear program. As expected, the two countries participated at high levels given the significance of negotiations.
A high-profile Iranian delegation, spearheaded by Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has arrived for crucial talks, accompanied by a formidable entourage of 70 senior officials. Key figures joining Ghalibaf include Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, his deputy for legal affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati. A dedicated team of 26 technical and expert negotiators were also present, delving into economic, security, and political matters across specialized committees.
Counterpart to the Iranian team is a substantial 300-strong American delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance alongside Trump’s son-in-law and advisory Jared Kushner and special envoy to Syria Steve Witkoff. The sheer size and caliber of both delegations underscore the gravity of the issues at hand.
Ahead of the official negotiations, both Iranian and American envoys held separate meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, exchanging messages aimed at defusing tensions and fostering progress. The core agenda revolved around unlocking Iran’s frozen assets, decreaseing its uranium enrichment, lifting sanctions, and halting regional conflicts. Hopes are high that these discussions could be a pivotal step towards stabilizing the volatile Middle East.
Iran, which had previously declared a halt to the conflict in Lebanon as a non-negotiable precondition, reiterated this demand to the American delegation via Pakistani intermediaries before the talks commenced, insisting on an end to Israeli aggression.
Prior to entering negotiations, Iran had laid out a 10-point framework, as the basis for negotiations. According to media reports, the US has, in principle, committed to Iran’s 10 conditions. These reportedly include: non-aggression, continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of uranium enrichment, removal of all primary and secondary sanctions, cessation of all UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, compensation for Iran, withdrawal of US combat forces from the region, and a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including against the Lebanese Hezbollah.
As delegates entered the negotiation site, Reuters, citing a senior Iranian official, reported that the US has agreed to unfreeze a portion of Iran’s blocked assets. The Iranian official characterized this move as a “sign of a step towards achieving a lasting agreement.”
Three concise rounds of talks
Following extensive back-and-forth communications via Pakistani intermediaries, the first round of negotiations between Iranian and American delegations finally commenced.
The indirect talks, spanning three sessions late into Saturday, initially focused on establishing a framework before diving into technical and expert discussions. However, the third session reportedly grew contentious, with progress proving difficult.
Reports from media outlets and individuals close to the Iranian team indicated that American “excessive demands” are obstructing the negotiation process. Specifically cited were US conditions including the removal of 60 percent enriched uranium, a reduction of missile range to 700 kilometers, and joint control with the US over the Strait of Hormuz. These demands were reportedly flatly rejected by the Iranian delegation, which is insisting on its own conditions to solidify its military gains and secure the nation’s interests.
The Financial Times, in a report, highlighted the Strait of Hormuz as a persistent point of contention, noting Iran’s insistence on maintaining sole control over the vital waterway and collecting tolls.
Furthermore, the handover of enriched uranium and a reduction in missile range were previously declared red lines by Tehran even before the recent conflict. With Iran having secured a superior position during the conflict, sources suggest they are unwilling to compromise on these crucial boundaries.
The third round ended without any conclusion, with the Iranian side blaming the failure of the talks on the Americans which Iran says are not in a position to dictate their terms on the Islamic Republic.
Shadow of distrust on the negotiations
Although high-level negotiations are underway with seriousness, distrust continues to undermine progress. Given Iran’s past experience of US betrayal, including exiting the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 in May 2018 and waging two wars against Iran during the talks, Tehran remains wary of Washington. This skepticism was further reinforced during the recent conflicts in the midst of nuclear negotiations, prompting Iranian officials to view US intentions with deep suspicion.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf echoed this sentiment upon arriving in Islamabad, condemning US behavior during negotiations. He stated: “Unfortunately, our experience of negotiating with the Americans has always ended in betrayal. Twice, in less than a year, despite Iran’s good faith, they attacked us and committed war crimes. We are acting in good faith, but we don’t trust them.”
Meanwhile, even as talks focus on achieving peace, the US continues to escalate tensions. Reports indicate that Washington has dispatched dozens of refueling aircraft and fighter jet munitions to the region, materials that had faced shortages forty days of war, despite calls for a ceasefire.
Some media sources suggest that three new US warships are en route to the region precisely as the two-week ceasefire ends. This has fueled doubts about whether the US is genuinely committed to serious negotiations, raising questions about its true intentions.
In the midst of the talks, a US naval vessel attempted to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing negotiations but was warned and then withdrew. Iranian armed forces, monitoring the situation closely, relayed the incident to the Iranian negotiating team in Pakistan, which then immediately informed the American side via Pakistani intermediaries. Iran explicitly warned that if the ship continued its movement, it would be targeted within 30 minutes, potentially jeopardizing the negotiations altogether.
Adding to the tension, Trump claimed that he does not care about the outcome of the talks in Islamabad. He warned that if negotiations fail, the US will resume military operations in the region. Such provocative actions and warlike statements threaten to derail the negotiations entirely, revealing that Washington’s apparent rhetoric of restraint masks ongoing aggressive policies.
Demands from the US
Iran’s highest-level delegation signifies Tehran’s firm stance, aiming to compel the US to yield to its demands. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in this regard stated: “This round of talks is fundamentally different from past sessions due to US’s record of dishonesty and deception. This is not merely a negotiation; it is a demand. In fact, we can call it Iran’s ‘demand’ from the US.”
Iran’s ability to force the adversary to release frozen assets indicates a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape. The world must now contend with a new power: Iran. This is a nation that has successfully countered two nuclear-armed adversaries and is now focused on reclaiming its rights and concessions rather than offering them.
Overall, experience shows that if the US continues its excesses, the road to a deal will be very likely blocked. Meanwhile, return to the fighting, given Iran's show of power on the battleground, cannot secure goals of Washington and its allies since with extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz and fall of the world's oil supplies, the world markets will sink in a crisis and when home and international pressures mount, Trump will find his presidency shaky.
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