INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
disputes.However, this modest diplomatic progress has been overshadowed by a media-driven pressure campaign emanating from Washington
In an interview with the conservative outlet Breitbart News, Witkoff reiterated hardline U.S
demands and dismissed the potential for compromise
The timing and tone of his remarks suggest a deliberate effort to use the media as a tool of political coercion, rather than pursuing
genuine diplomacy.A Familiar impasseAt the heart of the discord remains the issue of uranium enrichment
Witkoff went further, demanding that Iran not only halt enrichment but also decommission its centrifuges, export its nuclear fuel, and
transform its entire nuclear program into a model akin to the Bushehr power plant, which lacks enrichment capabilities.Tehran, for its part,
views such conditions as both unrealistic and deeply insulting
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful and that its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) include
the ability to enrich uranium for civilian purposes
The Islamic Republic has consistently pointed out that several other nations operate enrichment facilities without being accused of
direct challenge to its sovereignty
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that any agreement requiring the renunciation of domestic enrichment would be unacceptable and
tantamount to national capitulation.The legacy of the JCPOAThe debate is further complicated by the ghost of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA), the landmark 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under President Trump
The JCPOA was a carefully negotiated compromise that offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for verifiable limits on its nuclear
By abandoning the deal, Washington not only undermined years of multilateral diplomacy but also eroded trust in future American
allowed certain restrictions on Iran to expire after a number of years
Yet his critique conveniently omits that the U.S
exit from the deal occurred before those clauses could even take effect
For Iranian policymakers, this selective memory reflects a broader pattern of American unreliability.A media campaign as pressure tacticWhat
distinguishes the current phase of talks is not only the content of U.S
demands but also the means by which they are communicated
The choice of Breitbart News as the platform for outlining hardline positions was no accident
It plays into a broader American strategy of using media appearances to apply external pressure on Tehran, possibly to score domestic
political points as much as to influence negotiations.Rather than conducting talks in the discreet channels typically favored by diplomats,
certain factions in Washington appear to be waging a parallel negotiation through the press
This media blitz complicates the work of negotiators on the ground and undermines trust between the two parties
It also signals to Tehran that future agreements may once again be at the mercy of U.S
electoral cycles and media narratives.From Iran's viewpoint, this strategy is both destabilizing and disingenuous
The recent statements by Witkoff, and their amplification in conservative U.S
demonstrated a willingness to engage in dialogue
From participating in the original JCPOA talks to cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran has shown more
The Iranian leadership faces domestic pressure not to appear weak or subservient to foreign powers
Years of economic hardship imposed by unilateral sanctions have only hardened public sentiment against perceived Western hypocrisy
session in Muscat was widely seen as a pivotal moment
While the Iranians came prepared to discuss technical details and possible confidence-building measures, the U.S
delegation appeared constrained by political messaging back home
The contrast in approach is telling
Iran is engaging in a slow, methodical diplomatic process
The U.S seems more interested in staging rhetorical victories
The result is a negotiation table where one side speaks the language of diplomacy, and the other that of domestic posturing.The prospects
for a sustainable agreement remain uncertain
Much will depend on whether the United States is prepared to engage Iran on equal footing and recognize its rights under international law
Blanket demands for dismantlement and one-sided guarantees are unlikely to succeed
A more promising approach would involve reciprocal steps, phased relief from sanctions, and mechanisms to ensure compliance on both
sides.International actors such as the European Union, Russia, and China may also have a role to play in moderating talks and insulating
them from domestic political pressures in Washington
Without such safeguards, negotiations are doomed to be cyclical, vulnerable to the whims of U.S
politics, and detached from the diplomatic realities on the ground.Ultimately, the success or failure of these talks will hinge not only on
Iran has shown that it is willing to negotiate within a defined framework of mutual respect
Whether the United States is willing to do the same remains an open question.If the U.S
continues to rely on media pressure and maximalist demands, the collapse of negotiations is a real and imminent possibility
Should that occur, the blame will rest not solely on diplomatic failure but on a broader unwillingness to treat diplomacy as a serious and
This article first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times
