Iranian officials have expressed willingness to discuss their nuclear-enrichment activities, but have tied any concessions to the potential easing of American sanctions.
Meanwhile, both sides have increased their military presence in the region. The US is deploying a second aircraft carrier to the region amid warnings of a possible strike on Iran if talks — which could drag on for weeks — fail to produce a compromise. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps held drills around the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Monday that were focused on delivering a “decisive” response to security threats.Also Read: Trump says he will be involved indirectly in Iran talks
Oil markets are closely watching the talks for signs of disruption to supply from the Persian Gulf or potential sanctions relief for the Islamic Republic, whose crude is off limits for most buyers. Global benchmark Brent fell toward $68 a barrel in thin trading early Tuesday, a day after gaining on news of the Iranian military drills.
The Revolutionary Guard is monitoring the strait continuously and plans to unveil additional equipment soon to boost its military capacities there, Navy commander Alireza Tangsiri said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met the head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog – the IAEA – in Geneva on Monday to discuss “proposals” he’ll present at his talks with US officials, it added.Also Read: Iran says potential energy, mining and aircraft deals on table in talks with US
Araghchi also met with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi to present Iran’s latest position for him to convey to the US side, it said.
The US team is led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump said on Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and that he’ll be indirectly involved in the discussions.
Israel, with whom Iran fought a 12-day war in June, is pushing for the negotiations to include limits on the range of Tehran’s ballistic missiles, but Iran has so far dismissed that as a red line.
During a visit to Tel Aviv on Monday, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Washington was “weeks, not months” away from a decision between diplomacy and military action against Iran.
Also Read: Netanyahu says US deal with Iran must dismantle nuclear infrastructure
“We are negotiating with our finger on the trigger,” Jalal Dehqani Firouzabadi, the head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, told the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency.
“Iran is making every effort to prevent war, and diplomacy is part of that effort, but has no hesitation in defending itself,” he said.
