Difficulties are emerging on the path to a final agreement to end the war between the United States and Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday evening that progress toward a deal has slowed amid discussions over Iran’s nuclear program and relief from economic sanctions imposed on the regime in Tehran.
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump again launched a social media broadside, targeting his two predecessors, Joe Biden and Barack Obama. In one post, Trump wrote: “Don’t forget the one who funded Iran and caused this war to happen. Obama!” In another, he said Biden and Obama entered negotiations with Iran from a position of weakness after being threatened, while he entered talks from a position of strength after threatening to “blow everything up.” In Trump’s view, when he makes threats, the other side comes to the negotiating table.
According to The Wall Street Journal report, the United States is demanding clearer upfront commitments from Iran regarding its withdrawal from the nuclear program, while the Iranians are pressing for details on sanctions relief and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held in the West.
The Wall Street Journal report is based on mediators involved in the negotiations. According to CNN, the United States expects firm commitments from Iran that it will dispose of its stockpile of enriched uranium and will not seek to develop nuclear weapons. A U.S. official said Sunday that Iran had agreed in principle to those points. Senior sources told the Saudi channel Al Arabiya that Iran is prepared to transfer its enriched uranium out of the country to China and that Tehran wants guarantees from Beijing before moving forward with an agreement with the United States.
Against the backdrop of the slowdown in talks, U.S. officials are concerned that if they show flexibility on economic issues, the Iranians will drag their feet on nuclear-related matters. In recent days, U.S. officials have begun using the phrase “no uranium, no dollars” — meaning that if Iran does not hand over its uranium, there will be no sanctions relief or unfreezing of assets.
Meanwhile, official Iran says some progress has been made in talks with the United States, but an agreement between the sides is “not close” at this stage. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday in Tehran: “It is correct to say that we have reached an understanding on a large part of the issues on the agenda, but to say that this means the signing of an agreement is close — no one can claim that.”
The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, also struck an uncompromising tone, saying: “There will be no retreat. The military sphere, the diplomatic sphere and the people in the streets have demonstrated this through their strong resistance. The country needs unity and cohesion now more than ever so that the Americans and Israel will be disappointed by it.”
By contrast, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded somewhat more optimistic when he told reporters during a visit to India that officials had thought there might be news the previous night, or possibly later that day. Still, he cautioned against reading too much into the timing, saying it can take time to receive a response from Iran.
Meanwhile, a senior Iranian delegation arrived Monday in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for talks on a memorandum of understanding to end the war. The delegation includes Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who is considered the head of Iran’s negotiating team, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank of Iran Gov. Abdolnaser Hemmati.
According to a source familiar with the details of the visit who spoke with Reuters, the talks between the Iranians and Qataris are focused on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. The central bank governor is dealing with the issue of unfreezing Iranian assets as part of the final agreement. Sources told Al Arabiya that Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, is also expected to visit Qatar.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that Qalibaf traveled to Qatar for talks with the country’s emir. The agency said the visit would focus on negotiations to end the war and lift sanctions, and that Araghchi and Abdolnaser Hemmati accompanied him on the trip.
An Iranian source told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese network Al Mayadeen that the Iranian delegation would return to Tehran overnight after completing its meetings.