US-Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Oman Amid Rising Tensions:

Both Iranian and American delegations touched down in Oman on Saturday. This marks the first set of nuclear negotiations for both parties since President Trump attended to affairs in 2016. The discussions are happening at an urgent time, considering the rapid advancement in Iran’s nuclear technology and the increasing threat of military intervention.

Tracking tools for flights indicated that a private jet originating out of St. Petersburg, Russia, transporting American MidEast envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Oman on Saturday morning. Witkoff attended a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin just a day before on Friday.

“The goal is trying to defend the irreplaceable interests of Iranian citizens.”

Both Trump and Witkoff seem to have constructed a different narrative on the character of the negotiations. Both have expressed that the conversations held are direct which puts the negotiation structure and clarity on the deal in an alarming perspective.

U.S. Position: No Weaponization, Potential for Sanctions Relief

In a pre-departure discussion with The Wall Street Journal, Witkoff highlighted the expectation of the U.S. to remove Iran’s nuclear division.

“We will draw a perimeter of control that there cannot be weaponization of your nuclear capability,” Witkoff added.

He did note the possibility of reaching a compromise, reiterating the main pillar of the position is unchanged. It is believed that the Americans will be ready to make some form of sanctions relief, but under what conditions still remains a mystery.

Iran’s Uranium Enrichment a Major Sticking Point

As part of the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran was permitted to enrich uranium up to 3.67%. Current estimates suggest that Iran has enriched some material to as high as 60 percent which is a hop and skip away from weapons-grade. Reports suggest the country has sufficient stockpile of several nuclear weapons should they decide to commence the weaponization process.

Meeting some limitations is one thing, but completely scrapping the enrichment program is highly improbable. Enriching uranium to 20 percent is the bare minimum Tehran is expected to be arguing for.

Military Threats and Diplomatic Challenges
Trump has issued the strongest warning of military action if negotiations halt on multiple occasions. Netanyahu–the Prime Minister of Israel wants to do a complete tear down Iran’s military nuclear plant under what many are describing as a “Libyan model” approach which has been heavily criticized for its supposed lack of realism.

The Iranians, headed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, consider the fall of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi as a lesson learned and use it to amplify their distrust of Western promises.