Difficulties are mounting ahead of a planned round of negotiations between the US and Iran. Gulf outlets reported on Wednesday that there is still no certainty a meeting will be held between representatives of President Donald Trump's administration and the Iranian government.
A senior American diplomatic source said the US negotiating team wants Iran, ahead of any meeting, to agree to a timetable for handing over enriched uranium, to stop the suppression of protesters and to release those detained during protests. The American source told the Emirati website Aram News that there are points Tehran will have to accept before the sides move on to discuss other issues.
The source added that President Donald Trump had laid down guiding principles for the delegation, headed by Steve Witkoff, which is expected to meet with representatives of the Iranian regime. According to the source, these principles stipulate that no meeting should take place unless there are guarantees regarding a halt to uranium enrichment, the transfer of Iran's stockpiles to another location and commitments related to the ballistic missile program.
The diplomat said the US insists that any meeting in Istanbul serve as a stage for laying the correct foundations before entering any deeper negotiation process. Beyond that, the American source revealed that the issue of executions and arrests in Iran will also be raised.
In this context, the source said Washington intends to exert pressure to end what it described as the tragic situation inside Iran and to demand an immediate halt to repression as an integral part of any future understanding.
