The “intention test negotiations” .. What do you want Tehran and Washington?

Saraya – Amid great pressure, the United States and Iran began talks on Tehran’s nuclear program today, Saturday, in the Omani capital, Muscat, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action in the event of failure to reach a new deal.

These talks will be the highest level in this regard since Trump withdrew from the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program in 2018 during his first term.

“Pulse”
While leading these negotiations, which the two parties described as aiming to test the intentions and binding the pulse, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkev, on the one hand, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqji, on the other hand, behind closed doors in Muscat.

However, an indication of the spacing between the two sides during the past two days, as the formula of talks has not been confirmed yet, as the United States described it as direct, while Iran insists on the presence of a mediator, according to Agence France -Presse.

While an informed source explained that the negotiation will start indirectly and then resume directly if the first meeting is positive, according to the “Axios” website.

But the most prominent question remains: What does each of these talks want?
On the side of Tehran, a number of its previous officials confirmed that the goal is to reach a fair, real and sustainable agreement, (according to what was confirmed yesterday, Iranian counselor Ali Shamkhani).

Araqji previously indicated that the goal of negotiations is to raise sanctions and discuss the issue of the nuclear agreement, which his country insists as peaceful.

Today, he pointed out that “there is an opportunity to reach a preliminary understanding of more negotiations if America has fought the conversations on the basis of parity.”

While Ali, a preacher from the International Crisis Group, saw that the agreement on the talks would be “one of the first and most important issues.” He added that “Iran does not want a wide agenda in the early stages. But no sustainable agreement will not be more comprehensive,” according to France Press.

He also indicated that Tehran “is likely to be involved in steps to reduce its nuclear program, but not completely dismantling it” in exchange for the reduction of sanctions.

For his part, Karim Bitar, the lecturer in Middle East studies at the College of Political Science in Paris, considered that the negotiations “will not be exclusively on the nuclear program.” He added, “The agreement must include that Iran stops supporting its regional allies,” he added.

America’s demands
For its part, Washington would like to prevent Tehran from approaching the development of a nuclear bomb by forcing it to end its nuclear program, and this was confirmed explicitly and Witouf yesterday in statements to the Wall Street Journal.

It also seeks to conclude a new nuclear agreement before the automatic return mechanism of the sanctions that were part of the previous agreement ends in next October (2025).

It is noteworthy that these discussions come in light of the variables in the Middle East, after two wars that Israel fought in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon weakened two main allies of Tehran, Hamas and Hezbollah, while the Houthis supported by the continuous American strikes.

Iran has also suffered from the sanctions imposed on it for many years.

After Washington withdrew from the agreement concluded in 2015, Iran gradually retracted its obligations. And last December announced that it had started feeding new centrifuges on the Fordo website, “in the long run a significant increase in the rate of enriched uranium production at the level of 60%,” according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The International Atomic Energy Agency estimated in its recent report that Iran has 274.8 kilograms of enriched uranium by 60%, expressing “deep concern”.

By reaching an enrichment threshold at the level of 60%, Iran is approaching 90% necessary to make a nuclear weapon.