Washington’s refusal to meet Tehran’s demands is causing a serious rift, jeopardizing efforts to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program and raising the risk of a new crisis in the Middle East again.
American officials cited by the website Axios warn that if the diplomatic route is “closed”, Donald Trump may turn to military options.
American “no” to Iranian demands
The United States made clear to Iran on Wednesday that it would not accept Tehran’s demands to change both the location and format of the talks scheduled for Friday.
This attitude intensifies the impasse and threatens to blow up the diplomatic effort to re-approach.
From Istanbul… to “nothing”
The two sides had initially agreed to meet on Friday in Istanbul, with the participation of other Middle Eastern countries as observers.
However, on Tuesday, Iran demanded:
- the transfer of talks to Oman
- their conduct at a purely bilateral level
Tehran’s goal was, according to American sources, to limit the discussions solely to the nuclear program and to exclude issues such as ballistic missiles, which are a key priority for the US and countries in the region.
“It’s this or nothing”
Although Washington considered a change of location, it ultimately rejected the request.
“We told them ‘this or nothing’ and they said ‘okay, then nothing,'” said a senior US official, who added that if Iran returns to the original deal, the US is ready to sit down at the negotiating table this week or next.
The shadow of the military option
“We want to get to a real deal quickly, otherwise some will start looking at other options,” the official said, referring to Donald Trump’s repeated threats to use military force.
The Iranian mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What’s next
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Qatar on Thursday for talks with the country’s prime minister on Iran, according to US officials.
From there, they are likely to return to Miami, rather than travel to meet the Iranians directly — a sign that the rift remains deep.
