Iranian nuclear program. Iran and the USA began the second round of negotiations

The first round of talks took place on February 6 in Oman, where both sides assured their readiness to continue the discussions. At that time, Iran rejected the U.S. calls to completely halt uranium enrichment. The American side is pressuring Tehran to make concessions on its ballistic missile development program and to stop supporting armed groups in the Middle East. Iran, on the other hand, wants to focus solely on nuclear issues.

The American side is represented by Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, as well as the president’s son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner. The Iranian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Donald Trump assessed that Iran is a ”very tough negotiator.” The US president assumes that Tehran nevertheless wants to reach an agreement.

According to CNN, before Tuesday’s talks, the US amassed significant air and naval forces in the Middle East region. Until now, they had been stationed in the United Kingdom. In recent weeks, the US transported substantial amounts of equipment to Jordan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Since January 25, 12 American F-15 fighter jets have been stationed at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. There are also US carrier strike groups of the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford in the region. The Iranian side is conducting maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea and is of strategic importance to global oil and gas trade.

Military movements on both sides should be understood unambiguously. In case diplomatic tools fail, the US is ready to intervene in the region. The Iranian side is preparing for such a scenario, deploying its units in locations strategic to global oil and gas trade. Disruptions in supply would affect the world economy, thereby putting pressure on the United States.