There is deep skepticism that Iran's proposal, set to be presented Tuesday to Oman's foreign minister, will include any substantive changes from previous offers, and a breakthrough at the upcoming meeting in Geneva appears unlikely, a regional diplomat familiar with the negotiations said.
According to the diplomat, Tehran has already signaled publicly that it intends to focus on technical issues, including oversight of its nuclear facilities and the timeframe after which it would be permitted to resume uranium enrichment. No Iranian concession is expected on the core issue of enrichment itself, nor is there any indication that Tehran will agree to discuss its ballistic missile program or its support for regional terrorism.
Reports in Israel and elsewhere that Saudi Arabia is quietly backing regime change in Iran have not been denied by the Saudi royal court. A Saudi source told Israel Hayom that Riyadh prefers to wait for the outcome of the negotiations and unfolding events, but made clear that any meaningful weakening of the ayatollah regime or its replacement would be welcome news for the kingdom.
US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to attend the Geneva meeting, along with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog overseeing nuclear activity. Grossi's presence showcases the technical nature of the talks and their focus on enrichment levels and supervision of Iranian nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, Iran's rapid trials are continuing, most conducted remotely via video. Special tribunals established to prosecute participants in the protest movement handed down death sentences at the start of the week to dozens of young people accused of burning mosques and committing other offenses. It remains unclear whether the executions have been carried out, but families have received official notifications.
Iran previously assured the US that it would refrain from executing protesters. Israel Hayom has reported, however, that hundreds and possibly thousands of detained demonstrators were killed in custody, most often by gunshot or strangulation.
