On Saturday, Iranian and American diplomats met in Oman to discuss a nuclear deal. The talks were a clash of styles, tone and substance.
In the past, talks in locations like Vienna allowed the international press to watch the Iranian and American delegations leaving and arriving at different hotels. This time, the discussions are hidden away from prying eyes and journalists inside Muscat’s palaces.
Iran’s foreign ministry began by seeking to tightly control and dominate the early media narrative. Iranian diplomats told media outlets that the talks took place in a positive atmosphere. These Iranian expressions of optimism were commonplace during the Iran nuclear deal revival negotiations from 2021 to 2022 under president Biden. It stretched out the process and enabled the regime to prop-up its deteriorating currency.
On one side of the current talks is foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. On the other is Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s longtime friend and a New York real estate investor who is a newcomer to the Iran nuclear file.
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