WANA (Apr 12) – Although the American side pretends to have the upper hand in the Oman negotiations, the reality so far shows that Iran is the one holding the advantage.

 

This advantage is currently evident in three key areas:

 

1. The necessity of limiting the talks to the nuclear file

 

2. The location of the negotiations

 

3. The indirect nature of the talks

 

Regarding the limitation of the negotiations to nuclear issues, although the U.S. has somewhat backed down, this should not—and cannot—be a cause for optimism or excitement.

 

The Americans are known for dishonesty and breaking their commitments, and they may try to bring up unrelated issues either at the start or in the middle of the talks.

 

The indirect format of the negotiations allows Iran to withdraw—without cost or with minimal cost—if the other side brings up new or unrelated topics such as Iran’s defensive capabilities or regional matters.

 

Trump’s media campaign and propaganda about the nature of the talks are also rooted in this issue. He is trying to apply psychological and media pressure to push Iran into direct negotiations, even though the American side has already agreed to the indirect format.