Iran delegation arrives in Pakistan for US talks, as Lebanon and Israel to discuss ceasefire
Iran’s preconditions give some indication of complexities of talkspublished at 01:24 BST
Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent
The preconditions raised by the man leading Iran’s delegation – a ceasefire in Lebanon and the unfreezing of billions of dollars of Iranian assets – give some indication of the complexities now facing the negotiators.
The nuclear issue is the biggest, and the oldest, lying at the root of the west’s long-standing concerns about Iran. The regime insists it has never tried to develop a bomb, but since Donald Trump withdrew from a previous, meticulously negotiated nuclear deal, eight years ago, Iran has enriched uranium way beyond what it might need for a civil programme.
The US wants Iran to hand over what it has – a problem, as it’s thought to lie under the rubble of a facility near Isfahan – and commit to never pursuing a nuclear weapon. Iran says its right to enrich is non-negotiable.
Then the Strait of Hormuz – not a problem before this war, but now one of Iran’s most potent weapons.
Having established a choke hold on one of the world’s most important waterways, Iran wants to put in place a whole new set of rules governing maritime traffic, possibly involving the right to inspect shipping, impose tolls or simply deny access.
That, for much of the world, especially the countries of the Gulf, is a non-starter. The problems don’t stop there. Israel and the United States want to end what they see as Iran’s malign regional influence. Iran wants the complete lifting of all international sanctions and compensation for the damage inflicted over the past month.
Having been attacked twice in the past year when it thought it was still negotiating, it also wants guarantees that this won’t happen again.
No-one really thinks any of these issues are going to be resolved in Islamabad. Given how fragile the situation is ahead of the talks, most people will be happy simply to see the ceasefire survive.
