NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Following hours of indirect negotiations, the U.S. and Iran ended talks in Geneva without a new nuclear deal yesterday. Earlier this week, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, told reporters that Iran had been poised to finalize a draft of a deal within days.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi mediated the talks, and said there had been “significant” negotiation progress, but didn’t elaborate. However, even before the talks ended, Iranian state television reported that Tehran planned to continue its uranium enrichment program, and had rejected proposals to transfer it abroad. It also sought the lifting of international sanctions.
President Donald Trump has sought to make a nuclear deal with Iran, after pulling the U.S. out of the 2015 deal President Barack Obama made in 2018. Trump has been especially keen to do so, while the country struggles with internal unrest and widespread protests.
The U.S. continues to amass a fleet of warships in the region, heightening concerns of yet another war in the Middle East.
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