Iranian FM: Tehran May Set Deadline For Nuclear Talks

Photo: Al Jazeera

The Facts

  • Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said the country may impose a legal deadline for talks on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal, which have been deadlocked for months. He made the comments in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera.

  • Amir-Abdollahian is currently in Moscow meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, among other topics. The agreement — formally titled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — imposed restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.


The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

It is unlikely that the Iran nuclear deal will ever be revived, and for good reason. Secret meetings with Russian and Chinese officials will do nothing to help build trust amid already tense diplomatic circumstances. However, the US can still work towards global peace by offering good-faith engagement to avoid a nuclear Iran.

Establishment-critical narrative

A new strategy is needed regarding Iran. Previous efforts have proved unsuccessful, so the US should now work with Europe to agree on a resolute declaration on the issue of Iran's nuclear ambitions, and make clear that military action will be taken against credible threats. Without pushback against Iranian provocation and regional aggression, conflict is almost guaranteed — Washington's tact needs to change to ensure global stability.

Pro-China narrative

Forget about US involvement, China is the only nation that can help bring peace to the Middle East, and the Saudi-Iran deal is proof of this fact. Having already made an unprecedented advancement towards regional stability, China is now best positioned to help resolve the Iran nuclear issue by continuing in its role as the stabilizer in a divided world.

Nerd narrative

There is a 5% chance that the US will rejoin the Iran Nuclear Deal by 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.



Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

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