Nuclear talks restart as Trump warns Iran of “Bad things”

Iranian and U.S. officials said on February 2 that talks on Tehran’s nuclear program will resume in Turkey at the end of the week, on February 6. President Donald Trump quickly weighed in, warning that “bad things” could happen if an agreement is not reached, The National reported. In addition to Washington’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, representatives from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt are also expected to attend the February 6 talks in Istanbul, according to Reuters.

Following the crackdown by law enforcement forces on citizens who took to the streets to protest against the government in Tehran, regional and international tensions have continued to rise. The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily against the Islamic Republic if the repression did not stop. These threats have materialized in the reinforcement of the U.S. fleet off the Persian coast, with the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

The violent repression carried out by Iranian security forces, the bloodiest since 1979, has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths, according to figures released by the government in Tehran. That number more than doubles according to data from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. In addition to the thousands of deaths, there have also been deliberate attacks on healthcare facilities and medical personnel, as reported by the World Health Organization on January 29.

However, Trump’s threats of military intervention have so far remained only words, after he reportedly received unspecified assurances that arrested protesters would not be executed. Washington has added a clause calling for a renegotiation of Iran’s nuclear program in order to avoid an armed confrontation. This discussion is of fundamental importance for Tehran as well, as it seeks the lifting of sanctions that have triggered a domestic economic crisis and pushed large segments of the population into the streets. “Time is essential for Iran, which wants the removal of unjust sanctions as soon as possible,” said Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

While on February 3 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that he had instructed Araghchi to pursue negotiations “provided that there is an appropriate environment, free from threats and unreasonable expectations,” Iranian sources told Reuters that Trump has set three conditions for the resumption of talks: zero uranium enrichment in Iran, limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program, and an end to its support for regional allies. These demands have long been rejected by Tehran, which considers them unacceptable violations of its sovereignty.

Following U.S. threats against the Islamic Republic and the European Union’s designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on February 1 of a “regional war” should the United States launch any attack.

The National via agencies, Maghrebi.org