Iran is the Mother of All Liars. They were caught with their pants down by Israel whose midnight raid resulted in a cacaphony of their nuclear plans. They have continued to ramp up their nuclear capabilities by running their centrifuses 24/7. Now, and suddenly, they have come to the table to negotiate a new deal. Our reply is to them, yes, we will sign a new deal, but we want to inspect every one of your sites. Say no, then the deal is off.
Yemen’s Houthis launch missile, triggering sirens from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Iran’s proxies continue to launch missiles at Israel. This must stop if the negotiation proceeds. Houthis are a danger to the world, not only Israel, but all of those who use international waterways.
As U.S. and Iran begin nuclear talks amid fresh sanctions, can there be a deal?
Tehran has said the discussions in Oman over the weekend will be indirect after President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement earlier this week of “direct” negotiations.
Israel, which views Iran as an existential threat, and the U.S. see Iran as a rogue regime intent on pursuing weapons of mass destruction that will stop at little to undermine its opponents.
Iran‘s leadership, meanwhile, faces a choice between giving up its nuclear aspirations, which would most likely render it more vulnerable in the long run, or continuing along the path of nuclear development and dramatically raise the risk of an attack from Israel and the U.S.
Hanging over discussions in the Gulf kingdom of Oman will be Trump‘s threat that if the talks fail to yield results, “Iran is going to be in great danger.” Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it refuses to strike a deal on the future of its nuclear program.
The bid to end Iran’s nuclear program is one that Trump has resumed from his first term, when he pulled the U.S. out of the landmark 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to dismantle much of its nuclear program and allow inspections of its facilities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Trump withdrew from the JCPOA because, he said, it was a “horrible one-sided deal” that did not address Tehran’s ballistic missile program nor its network of proxies throughout the region. The U.S. move infuriated the Iranian government after it had adhered to the terms the agreement signed with the Obama administration and five other world powers.
Saturday’s talks also come after repeated warnings from Rafael Grossi, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Iran was “dramatically” accelerating its enrichment of uranium up to 60% purity, inching closer to the around 90% level that constitutes weapons grade.