US Threatens Consequences Over Iran Talks

By Staff, Agencies

United States officials said talks with Tehran have been productive but stressed that any agreement depends on Iran accepting conditions on its nuclear program.

Speaking to Reuters, senior US officials said that “either we reach an agreement or we do not,” adding that Washington is seeking commitments from Tehran as part of the ongoing discussions.

According to the officials, the US is demanding that Iran issue a statement confirming it will stop targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

They added that Washington would not reach an agreement with Iran unless it obtains what it described as guarantees regarding the nuclear issue.

Meanwhile, Axios, citing US officials, reported that US President Donald Trump has given his negotiating team limited time and flexibility to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran.

The report said plans have already been prepared outlining possible options available to Trump if a deal is not reached.

US officials told Axios that they expect Iran to issue a statement following Saturday’s meeting in Oman, warning that there would be “severe consequences” if Tehran rejects the demand.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran have continued, with a Qatari delegation arriving in Tehran for direct discussions with Iranian officials, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.

The source said Doha's mediation efforts are being conducted in coordination with Washington, with talks focused on implementing the memorandum of understanding [MoU] reached between Iran and the US and addressing the disputes that triggered the latest escalation, particularly disagreements over maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Qatari visit follows reports by CNN that Qatar and Pakistan had intensified efforts to revive US-Iran negotiations following the latest wave of military escalation.

The talks follow renewed US attacks on Iran, which Tehran called the largest escalation since the June 17 memorandum, warning that further aggression would trigger a broader response.