US-Iran Talks Remain Stalemate as Missiles Not on the Table
The United States has made it clear that missiles are off the table in its talks with Iran, a development that comes at a time when tensions between the two countries remain high.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Saturday that despite the ongoing discussions, missile technology is "never negotiable" and that any attack on Iranian territory would be met with force. The comments were made in an interview with Al Jazeera following mediated talks in Oman.
In a move to assert its stance, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order effective from Saturday calling for the imposition of tariffs on countries still doing business with Iran. This was announced alongside new sanctions targeting numerous shipping entities and vessels aimed at curbing Iran's oil exports.
Despite these efforts, talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. Araghchi expressed hope that the US would refrain from "threats and pressure" in order to allow for a continuation of the negotiations.
In contrast, Iranian citizens seem less optimistic about the prospects of an agreement, with one woman stating that "negotiations will end without results because both sides are sticking to their own positions".
Meanwhile, Abdullah al-Shayji, a US foreign policy expert at Kuwait University, is hopeful for a new deal but remains skeptical about the ability of countries facilitating mediation to bring the two nations closer together.
The standoff has been exacerbated by last month's antigovernment protests in Iran, which saw widespread demonstrations across the country. Trump ramped up threats against the nation in response, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
The US military presence serves as a demonstration of strength but may also have long-term consequences for President Trump and his administration. As such, experts caution that using this tactic cannot be a sustainable approach and is likely to discredit them further.
As tensions continue to escalate, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump on Wednesday to discuss the Iran talks. The meeting will touch upon key issues including limitations on ballistic missiles and support for Iranian proxy groups.
Iran's ballistic missile technology is seen as a critical aspect of its defense capabilities, and any concessions in this area could have significant implications for the nation's sovereignty. With no signs of progress at present, it remains to be seen whether Washington and Tehran will find common ground in their ongoing talks.
The United States has made it clear that missiles are off the table in its talks with Iran, a development that comes at a time when tensions between the two countries remain high.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Saturday that despite the ongoing discussions, missile technology is "never negotiable" and that any attack on Iranian territory would be met with force. The comments were made in an interview with Al Jazeera following mediated talks in Oman.
In a move to assert its stance, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order effective from Saturday calling for the imposition of tariffs on countries still doing business with Iran. This was announced alongside new sanctions targeting numerous shipping entities and vessels aimed at curbing Iran's oil exports.
Despite these efforts, talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. Araghchi expressed hope that the US would refrain from "threats and pressure" in order to allow for a continuation of the negotiations.
In contrast, Iranian citizens seem less optimistic about the prospects of an agreement, with one woman stating that "negotiations will end without results because both sides are sticking to their own positions".
Meanwhile, Abdullah al-Shayji, a US foreign policy expert at Kuwait University, is hopeful for a new deal but remains skeptical about the ability of countries facilitating mediation to bring the two nations closer together.
The standoff has been exacerbated by last month's antigovernment protests in Iran, which saw widespread demonstrations across the country. Trump ramped up threats against the nation in response, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
The US military presence serves as a demonstration of strength but may also have long-term consequences for President Trump and his administration. As such, experts caution that using this tactic cannot be a sustainable approach and is likely to discredit them further.
As tensions continue to escalate, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump on Wednesday to discuss the Iran talks. The meeting will touch upon key issues including limitations on ballistic missiles and support for Iranian proxy groups.
Iran's ballistic missile technology is seen as a critical aspect of its defense capabilities, and any concessions in this area could have significant implications for the nation's sovereignty. With no signs of progress at present, it remains to be seen whether Washington and Tehran will find common ground in their ongoing talks.
These US-Iran talks are getting old faster than I do... Seriously though, missiles are really off the table? That's like saying you want a slice of pizza but don't want the cheese – what's the point?! 
The US is all about tariffs and sanctions now, while Iran just wants to be left alone. It's like they're playing this game of chicken where no one wins... or gets out alive 
. And let's not forget that Iranian citizens are over here like "yeah right, negotiations will end in disaster". I guess we'll just have to wait and see if anyone can get these two nations to agree on anything 
.
so we got Iran and the US trying to talk but nothing's happening 
it's missiles all the time, no missiles... 
meanwhile Trump is over here imposing tariffs and sanctions like a pro at being grumpy 
and Iranian citizens are just like "meh, we'll see about that" 
Abdullah al-Shayji thinks there's hope but I'm more like "nope, not gonna happen" 
it's all just a big mess 
... these threats and sanctions aren't really gonna help much, if anything. It's like they're just digging each other into deeper holes 
. The US is basically saying "we won't talk" and Iran's all "we'll defend ourselves", it's not exactly the most productive way to resolve conflicts 
. And what's with the tariffs? Are we really gonna make them pay for not talking to us? It just seems like a big game of chicken, but without any real winners 
.
like whats going on with trump just declaring tariffs on countries doing biz with iran? and now he's deploying the USS abraham lincoln to the middle east? that's just gonna escalate things even more 
it feels like trump is really not trying to find a solution here. and what about these protests in iran last month? didnt he do anything about it? 
on the other hand, i think it's a bad idea 4 Trump 2 impose tariffs & sanctions... like, isn't that just gonna push Iran further into Russia's arms? 
I'm worried about what's going to happen next, but at the same time, it's clear that both sides have valid concerns 
Iranian citizens seem so frustrated with the lack of progress 
I think we need some time for diplomacy to breathe and let things cool down before they can have any real progress. Let's not forget, folks, there are people on both sides who genuinely want a peaceful resolution 
. And let's be real, the US military presence in the Middle East is just a big show of strength... or a desperate attempt to distract from their own failures 
.
. Meanwhile, Iranian citizens are just over here like "yeah, good luck with that" 
.
I'm surprised the Iranian foreign minister didn't bring some popcorn to the negotiating table 
. Seriously though, it's getting old seeing these two nations play chicken with each other. Can't we just have a productive conversation for once? 
It feels like the US is just trying to strangle Iran economically and then wonder why tensions are high 
.
...
what a move by Trump to impose tariffs on countries still doing business with Iran is just gonna make them even more bitter towards the US, guess they're not scared of those new sanctions 
. The tariffs and sanctions are just gonna hurt more people than help 
anyway, I think Abdullah al-Shayji is right to be skeptical - these talks need some real progress or they're just going to fizzle out like a failed business deal 
. And what's with the tariffs? Is that supposed to scare Iran into making concessions? It just seems like more saber-rattling from the US side... 
. I mean, who knows what kind of agreements they'll come up with? It's just a PR stunt at this point 
.