Former foreign ministry official says the talks are a “litmus test” for diplomacy and “an opportunity for both sides to gauge each other’s positions beyond media narratives and rhetoric.”
By SETH J. FRANTZMANAPRIL 23, 2025 10:14Updated: APRIL 23, 2025 10:15
A staff member removes the Iranian flag from the stage during the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria July 14, 2015(photo credit: REUTERS)
The first two weeks of Iran-US talks appeared to accelerate the drive for a deal. It wasn’t all a one-way street, though. Iran has lurched from optimism to trying to downplay expectations.
Over the last several days, it has also sought to wait-and-see as it hedges on a deal by moving forward with increased ties with Russia and China.
What’s important for Iran is that it should not be seen as “wanting” a deal too much. On the other side of the coin, it wants to strike while the iron is hot, as the Trump administration appears poised to push for diplomacy.
Iran is cognizant that there is a discussion in the US on this issue. It has likely followed closely the firing of several people at the Pentagon over accusations of leaks. It likely has watched the recent episode of Tucker Carlson, where he spent a lot of time unpacking the potential for conflict with Iran.
There is a sense of internal conflict in the halls of power about what is to be done with Iran. Central to these talks is also Israel’s view.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi speaks with the members of the Iranian delegation after the negotiation in Muscat, Oman, April 12, 2025. (credit: Khabaronline/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 22, and publicly, the Trump administration says it agrees with Israel on a plethora of issues. This apparently includes Iran. Iran’s regime would look on that with concern because it knows that Israel is pushing for a tougher stance.
What is Iran hinting at today? Iranian state media said on April 22 and April 23 that the talks, expected to focus on technical details of a deal, will take place on April 26.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said this in a report that appeared on Iran state media IRNA. These talks are described as “expert-level indirect talks.”
IRNA noted that “Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says that the expert-level indirect talks between Iran and the United States, originally scheduled for Wednesday, have been postponed to April 26. Baqaei said that the meeting will be held concurrently with the next round of indirect talks between the heads of the two delegations.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said Iran’s oil and gas industry “has always been attractive to international investors due to its high profitability,” IRNA reported.
Iran wants investment from the US and the West if there is a deal. In the absence of that, it wants investment from Russia, China, or other states. Paknejad “stressed that attracting investment for oil and gas projects remains a key focus for the ministry.”
Statements from IRNA
Meanwhile, IRNA’s CEO has given a second interview to his own network about the deal talks. He was a former foreign ministry official, and he is familiar with these issues. He says the talks are a “litmus test” for diplomacy and “an opportunity for both sides to gauge each other’s positions beyond media narratives and rhetoric.”
IRNA noted, “he said that there had been widespread speculation about the outcome of the talks before they had even begun, but added that if they had managed to create a slight opening for diplomacy, the process could be deemed a success.” Clearly, he appears optimistic, which may also be reflected in IRNA’s reporting.
As the talks progressed, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also spoke with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafaei Grossi.
Iran said its approach to the talks was based on “goodwill and seriousness.” This comes in the wake of Araqchi cancelling a talk at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference. He claimed it was due to a change of format. This shows that Iran continues to be a bit concerned about opening itself up too much to questions from the US or the West.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-851165.
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