IRAN (Washington Insider Magazine) – Tensions are on the rise between Iran and the United States this summer after negotiations aimed to reinstate the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal finished without progress. The talks took place in Doha, Qatar, and were mediated by the European Union.
The negotiations were arranged in the hopes that both sides would come to an amicable agreement, lasting two days–but officials reported that the talks had led to a stalemate. Despite the lack of progress, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is open to working with the US to build a more democratic relationship.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister and nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani both confirmed last week that the next set of negotiations is being finalized.
In between talks, concerns of open conflict have risen as Iran gets closer to having enough enriched uranium that is needed to build a nuclear bomb, with faltering relationship and cooperation with the United Nation’s Watch Dog. This has led many to question the prospect of nuclear action should tension escalate severely and result in illegal warfare.
The US and Israel have recently signed a deal that would mean Iran may never be allowed to possess a nuclear bomb.
Though progress is stalled, for the time being, experts remain hopeful that both sides will come to an agreement. That said, it is unlikely that Iran will sign the deal this time around and instead will likely postpone it until the next Presidential election. If this is the case, both parties will need to go through another set of negotiations.
This tactic is expected to contribute to rising tensions as frustrations grow on both sides. Experts remain wary of the unsustainable “no deal, no conflict” tactic.
This is not the first time that tensions between Iran and the U.S. have escalated during Iranian Nuclear Deal talks.They also flared up in 2019 when both sides were close to starting an open conflict due to the tightening sanctions and a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia.
To see progress, both sides must act with caution to keep a level playing field and to ensure that there is a level playing field and an air of democracy during the next set of negotiations.