FROM American threats of bombing Iran, things have taken a more positive turn as President Donald Trump’s emissary Steve Witkoff initiated indirect talks on the nuclear issue with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Muscat on Saturday. While the Omanis acted as intermediaries, Mr Witkoff and Mr Araghchi also met briefly, initiating diplomatic first contact after a lengthy pause. Both sides have cautiously welcomed the developments, and the next round will take place this coming weekend. While Mr Trump has not ruled out attacking Iran in case negotiations fail, the parleys signal a welcome shift from the earlier bombast coming out of Washington, which seemed to indicate that war was imminent.

While the developments are no doubt positive, no one should be under the illusion that the US-Iran stand-off has ended. One major reason for this is Mr Trump’s unpredictable nature, although it is also true that the Iranians are unlikely to meet America’s demands that they completely roll back their nuclear programme. Tehran’s support for its regional allies, and limits to its missile programme — the other major American demands — are also red lines. Beyond this, the Iranians seem willing to place limits on their atomic programme in exchange for sanctions relief. US-led sanctions have crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy, and together with internal mismanagement, the average Iranian is enduring considerable financial pain. It is also highly likely that the engagement in Muscat has not gone down well in Tel Aviv. The Israeli regime is keen to see an attack on Iran, but knows it cannot carry it out alone and thus is hopeful of dragging Washington into a new Middle Eastern quagmire. Therefore, Mr Trump needs to resist the Zionist and neocon ‘advice’ to attack Iran if the negotiations fail, and continue the parleys in good faith. An attack on Iran will not be child’s play, and the fire arising from such a misadventure will burn the entire Middle East.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2025