Following urgent requests: the US agrees to meet with Iran

The plans to hold a meeting between the U.S. and Iran in Oman on Friday to discuss a nuclear deal are back on track, after several Arab and Muslim leaders this evening (Wednesday) put pressure on the Trump administration not to follow through on threats to withdraw from the talks, two senior American officials said.

• “They asked us to hold the meeting and listen to what the Iranians had to say. We told the Arabs that we would hold the meeting if they insisted. But we are very skeptical about the chances of success,” said one of the senior American officials.
• According to American officials, at least nine countries from the region sent messages to the White House at the highest levels, including a firm request that the US not cancel the meeting with the Iranians in Oman.
• A second senior American official said that the Trump administration agreed to hold the meeting with the Iranians “out of respect” for the request of America’s allies in the region, and “to continue promoting the diplomatic track.”

• Arakchi, the Iranian foreign minister, announced on the networks the existence of “nuclear talks”.
• “The talks with the US are scheduled to take place in Muscat, Oman around 10:00 am on Friday,” he wrote.
• The minister added: “I am grateful to our Omani brothers for making all the necessary arrangements.”
• One of the disputes between the US and Iran was over the nature of the talks, when the Americans demanded to discuss other issues besides nuclear, such as the issue of ballistic missiles.

• Earlier today we published that the US canceled the negotiation talks with Iran, following the demands placed by the Iranians on the location of the meeting and the nature of the conduct of the talks.
• According to senior American officials, the talks in Istanbul were to take place on two separate tracks: direct talks between the US and Iran on a nuclear agreement, and multilateral talks between the US, Iran and regional partners on issues such as the Iranian missile program, Iran’s support for proxy organizations and the human rights situation in Iran after the killing of thousands of protesters.
• “The Iranians tried to move the talks from Turkey to Oman and exclude other countries from them. We said no. We tried to reach a compromise, but the Iranians refused. There is a good chance that the talks won’t take place at all this week,” said one of the American officials.
• The officials added that they are skeptical about the possibility of reaching an agreement, in view of Iran’s conduct in the previous rounds of talks and its conduct in recent days.

• Yesterday, American envoy Steve Witkoff met in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a group of senior officials in the defense establishment, to coordinate positions for the talks with Iran.
• Israeli officials said that during the meeting Witkoff was updated on the latest intelligence that Israel had on Iran. Netanyahu told Witkoff that Iran has proven time and time again that it cannot be trusted.
• “Steve was belligerent (toward the Iranians). He understands very well that they are trying to pull him by the nose, and he said he would not allow that to happen,” said an Israeli source.