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Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Iran-US nuclear talks: key points of contention
Long-time adversaries Iran and the United States held a fifth round of Oman-mediated nuclear talks on Friday in Rome, but with no breakthrough reported. However, both sides still described the meeting as constructive and expressed a willingness to continue the discussions. Here are some of the main obstacles seen to be hampering progress: Iran's enrichment of uranium remains the main sticking point. The United States and Western countries suspect Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, but Iran denies having such ambitions. It insists that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful civilian purposes. American officials including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who has led Washington's delegation at the talks, have spoken out against Iran's enrichment programme. Witkoff said before the talks that Washington "cannot allow even one percent of enrichment capacity" for Iran. Tehran has called its enrichment "non-negotiable", arguing that such a demand prevents a deal. "Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal," Iran's top negotiator and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X. Experts say the fifth round of talks saw a collision of red lines. "This round was uniquely sensitive, marked by the collision of seemingly irreconcilable public red lines over uranium enrichment," Sina Toossi from the Center for International Policy told AFP. Iran remains the only non-nuclear state enriching uranium to 60 percent, well above the 3.67 percent limit set under its 2015 accord with Western powers, but below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material. The 2015 deal was torpedoed in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term when he unilaterally withdrew the United States from the accord. Iran wants the talks to remain strictly focused on its nuclear programme and lifting US sanctions, a stance it has held since April 12 when the first round was held in Oman. Tehran has criticised what it calls "irrational" demands by Washington and inconsistent signals from US officials. Araghchi warned that such "contradictory positions", if they persist, "will complicate the talks". Before the negotiations began, some analysts suggested the United States might seek a broader deal that also addressed Iran's ballistic missile programme. They believed the talks might touch on Tehran's support for the "axis of resistance", the network of anti-Israel armed groups that includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and Yemen's Huthi rebels. On April 27, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Washington to block not only Iran's enrichment of uranium but also its missile development under any possible deal. Iran opposes non-nuclear issues being discussed in the talks, citing its sovereign rights and defence needs. Even with diplomacy under way, the United States has imposed new sanctions on Iran. Tehran denounces what it calls Washington's "hostile approach", noting that new sanctions were imposed just ahead of negotiations taking place. On Wednesday, Washington sanctioned Iran's construction sector, citing its potential links to nuclear, military or missile activities. "These sanctions ... further put to question the American willingness & seriousness for diplomacy," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei posted on X. In late April, before the third round of talks, Washington also slapped sanctions on Iran's oil and gas sector. The Iran-US talks, their highest-level contacts since Washington quit the 2015 nuclear accord, came after Trump wrote to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei in March. Trump urged Tehran to reach a deal diplomatically, but also warned of military action if talks fail. Iran has issued warnings of its own. On Friday, armed forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri warned that "any US misstep in the region will end like Vietnam and Afghanistan". His remarks came after CNN, citing US officials, reported on Tuesday that Israel was preparing to attack Iranian nuclear sites. "We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility," Araghchi said in a letter to the United Nations published on Thursday. According to the US outlet Axios, Witkoff met Israeli officials shortly before Friday's Rome talks. Ultra-conservative Iranian daily Kayhan wrote on Saturday that "coordination between Trump and Netanyahu is leading the negotiations towards deadlock". bur-sbr/rkh/srm
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Debatable: Is removing sanctions on Syria a good idea?
US President Donald Trump made headlines in the Middle East last week as he announced plans to ease sanctions on Syria and move to normalize bilateral relations. The decision won the president rare praise from Democrats, who see it as a logical step after rebels toppled the regime of autocrat Bashar al-Assad last year. Syria's new president Ahmed al-Sharaa, who met with Trump last week, has promised to usher in a freer and more stable Syria. But some experts and lawmakers are suspicious of al-Sharaa given his past ties to Al Qaeda. The group that gained control of Syria last year, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, still bears a terrorist designation, and al-Sharaa himself has been subject to a $10 million US bounty. Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy and a former foreign policy adviser to progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., says Trump made the right call: 'This is the right move, which will aid desperately needed humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Syria. While many in Washington treat sanctions as an end in themselves, we should remember that they're actually a means to an end — they are tools to try and change behavior. 'Sanctions were imposed on the Assad regime for his brutal repression. While we should proceed cautiously, Syria's new government seems to be governing in a better, much more equitable way, and that's worth rewarding and further incentivizing.' Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, argues that the Trump administration is acting too soon: 'It's a gamble, for sure. I'm not convinced that al-Sharaa has truly broken from his jihadist past, and his cadres continue to terrorize Syrians who are not Sunni. My sense is that Trump wants to incentivize the Syrian leader, but I think he has gotten it backwards. 'Trump should lift sanctions in exchange for al-Sharaa perhaps protecting minorities, reaching out to Israel, and doing more to allay Kurdish concerns about the new political order.' The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial page criticized Trump over the move. The Trump administration plans to seek a 180-day waiver for Syria sanctions from Congress, with the goal of removing them completely over the longer term, per Bloomberg. Trump's sanctions announcement surprised officials working inside the Treasury Department, CBS News reported.
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Donald Trump Reshapes US Mideast Policy. Can Deals Work Instead?
President Donald Trump proclaimed a decisive break with decades of US interventionism during his Middle East tour, promising a new American foreign policy based instead on his beloved art of the deal. Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more "lectures on how to live", saying the region had achieved a "modern miracle the Arabian way." In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the "neo-cons" that oversaw bloody US military interventions in the region and beyond. "In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, the first stop on his tour of the Gulf. "Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins." Trump did not name them but the targets were clear. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden tried to tie US support to the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of the international order. And Republican George W. Bush in the early 2000s launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 'Consequential shift' "Trump's Riyadh speech marked a clear and consequential shift in US policy toward the Middle East," said Sina Toossi, from the Center for International Policy. "By rejecting the legacy of military intervention and nation-building, he signaled a move toward realism and restraint. This shift resonates deeply in a region exhausted by war and foreign meddling." But for Trump, that also means ignoring democracy and human rights issues and embracing the leaders of oil-rich monarchies with often autocratic tendencies. His Saudi host, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was for example found by US intelligence to have ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi. But there was no mention of that in Riyadh. Instead, Trump preached the same brand of gold-plated, transactional politics that he does at home. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates showed him the money, signing a host of huge business and investment deals with the United States during his trip. In return they got the glitz of Trump's first major foreign trip and praise as being examples of what the region could become. Conversely, Trump's visit also shook one of the longest-standing pillars of US policy in the Middle East -- its support for Israel. The US president not only bypassed Israel on the trip but appeared to sideline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues including Iran's nuclear program, Israel's war in Gaza, and Yemen's Huthi rebels. This showed mounting tensions behind the scenes, particularly on Iran, with Israel far keener than Trump on a military option. 'American power' But Trump's deal-making approach to foreign policy could soon have its limits tested. He has shown willingness to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear program -- saying that Tehran's case "I have never believed in having permanent enemies." But at the same time Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not reach an accord. Trump also left the Middle East with no progress towards a deal to end the war in Gaza despite his pledges to end the conflict -- although he made a rare reference to the fact that people were now "starving" in the besieged enclave. Further afield, Trump tried to coax Russia's Vladimir Putin to talks in Istanbul during his trip to discuss an end to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but his efforts came to nothing. Trump's "peace through strength" doctrine also has its contradictions. On a visit to a huge US air base in Qatar he said that "my priority is to end conflicts, not start them." But then he immediately added: "I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners."
Iraqi News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Trump reshapes US Mideast policy. Can deals work instead?
Washington – President Donald Trump proclaimed a decisive break with decades of US interventionism during his Middle East tour, promising a new American foreign policy based instead on his beloved art of the deal. Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more 'lectures on how to live', saying the region had achieved a 'modern miracle the Arabian way.' In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the 'neo-cons' that oversaw bloody US military interventions in the region and beyond. 'In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built,' Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, the first stop on his tour of the Gulf. 'Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins.' Trump did not name them but the targets were clear. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden tried to tie US support to the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of the international order. And Republican George W. Bush in the early 2000s launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. – 'Consequential shift' – 'Trump's Riyadh speech marked a clear and consequential shift in US policy toward the Middle East,' said Sina Toossi, from the Center for International Policy. 'By rejecting the legacy of military intervention and nation-building, he signaled a move toward realism and restraint. This shift resonates deeply in a region exhausted by war and foreign meddling.' But for Trump, that also means ignoring democracy and human rights issues and embracing the leaders of oil-rich monarchies with often autocratic tendencies. His Saudi host, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was for example found by US intelligence to have ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi. But there was no mention of that in Riyadh. Instead, Trump preached the same brand of gold-plated, transactional politics that he does at home. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates showed him the money, signing a host of huge business and investment deals with the United States during his trip. In return they got the glitz of Trump's first major foreign trip and praise as being examples of what the region could become. Conversely, Trump's visit also shook one of the longest-standing pillars of US policy in the Middle East — its support for Israel. The US president not only bypassed Israel on the trip but appeared to sideline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues including Iran's nuclear program, Israel's war in Gaza, and Yemen's Huthi rebels. This showed mounting tensions behind the scenes, particularly on Iran, with Israel far keener than Trump on a military option. – 'American power' – But Trump's deal-making approach to foreign policy could soon have its limits tested. He has shown willingness to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear program — saying that Tehran's case 'I have never believed in having permanent enemies.' But at the same time Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not reach an accord. Trump also left the Middle East with no progress towards a deal to end the war in Gaza despite his pledges to end the conflict — although he made a rare reference to the fact that people were now 'starving' in the besieged enclave. Further afield, Trump tried to coax Russia's Vladimir Putin to talks in Istanbul during his trip to discuss an end to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but his efforts came to nothing. Trump's 'peace through strength' doctrine also has its contradictions. On a visit to a huge US air base in Qatar he said that 'my priority is to end conflicts, not start them.' But then he immediately added: 'I will never hesitate to wield American power if it's necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners.'
France 24
17-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Trump reshapes US Mideast policy. Can deals work instead?
Trump vowed during his swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that there would be no more "lectures on how to live", saying the region had achieved a "modern miracle the Arabian way." In an extraordinary rupture with his predecessors, Trump then lambasted what he called the "neo-cons" that oversaw bloody US military interventions in the region and beyond. "In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, the first stop on his tour of the Gulf. "Far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins." Trump did not name them but the targets were clear. His Democratic predecessor Joe Biden tried to tie US support to the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of the international order. And Republican George W. Bush in the early 2000s launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 'Consequential shift' "Trump's Riyadh speech marked a clear and consequential shift in US policy toward the Middle East," said Sina Toossi, from the Center for International Policy. "By rejecting the legacy of military intervention and nation-building, he signaled a move toward realism and restraint. This shift resonates deeply in a region exhausted by war and foreign meddling." But for Trump, that also means ignoring democracy and human rights issues and embracing the leaders of oil-rich monarchies with often autocratic tendencies. His Saudi host, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was for example found by US intelligence to have ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi. But there was no mention of that in Riyadh. Instead, Trump preached the same brand of gold-plated, transactional politics that he does at home. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates showed him the money, signing a host of huge business and investment deals with the United States during his trip. In return they got the glitz of Trump's first major foreign trip and praise as being examples of what the region could become. Conversely, Trump's visit also shook one of the longest-standing pillars of US policy in the Middle East -- its support for Israel. The US president not only bypassed Israel on the trip but appeared to sideline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key issues including Iran's nuclear program, Israel's war in Gaza, and Yemen's Huthi rebels. This showed mounting tensions behind the scenes, particularly on Iran, with Israel far keener than Trump on a military option. 'American power' But Trump's deal-making approach to foreign policy could soon have its limits tested. He has shown willingness to seek a deal with Iran over its nuclear program -- saying that Tehran's case "I have never believed in having permanent enemies." But at the same time Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not reach an accord. Trump also left the Middle East with no progress towards a deal to end the war in Gaza despite his pledges to end the conflict -- although he made a rare reference to the fact that people were now "starving" in the besieged enclave. Further afield, Trump tried to coax Russia's Vladimir Putin to talks in Istanbul during his trip to discuss an end to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but his efforts came to nothing. Trump's "peace through strength" doctrine also has its contradictions. On a visit to a huge US air base in Qatar he said that "my priority is to end conflicts, not start them." © 2025 AFP
