Sightful Invest
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock
Top Posts
Starmer says UK to recognize Palestinian state if...
‘Critical’ closed-door congressional huddle focuses on growing antisemitism...
Trump’s CDC pick confirmed—but her pro-vaccine stance may...
Trump pick Emil Bove confirmed as federal judge...
From Gaza to Greenland, Macron breaks with Trump...
Schumer calls on FBI to conduct counterintelligence threat...
Biden ‘Politburo’ member Steve Ricchetti to appear before...
Trump looks to skip G20 summit in South...
Backlash against Sydney Sweeney ‘jeans/genes’ ad gets mocked...
Biden ‘Politburo’ member Steve Ricchetti appears before House...
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Stock

Sightful Invest

Politics

Trump demands do-or-die nuclear talks with Iran. Who has the leverage?

by admin April 11, 2025
April 11, 2025
Trump demands do-or-die nuclear talks with Iran. Who has the leverage?

President Donald Trump remains adamant that his administration will engage in ‘direct’ nuclear talks with Iran on Saturday in Oman, while Tehran appears to remain equally steadfast in its insistence the negotiations will be ‘indirect.’

Middle East envoy Stever Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Oman, where he could potentially be meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, though the Iranian official has so far maintained the talks will be held through a third party.

While it remains unclear who will get their way regarding the format of the discussions, Iran expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Behnam Ben Taleblu, said this public controversy between Washington and Tehran is all a game of leverage.

‘Both sides have an incentive to either overrepresent or underrepresent what is happening,’ he told Fox News Digital. ‘These are often the negotiations before the negotiations.’ 

‘For the White House, the desire to be seen as having direct talks with the Islamic Republic is high,’ he said, pointing to the lack of direct engagement between Washington and Tehran dating back to his first term and the regime’s deep disdain for the president, as witnessed in an apparent assassination attempt. 

While the Iranian government has long held contempt for the U.S., a sentiment that has persisted for decades, Trump is ‘very different,’ Ben Taleblu said.

The security expert highlighted the 2020 assassination of top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the crippling effect of the U.S.-sanctioned maximum-pressure campaign and Trump’s open support for the Iranian people as the major issues that have rankled the Iranian regime.

‘Trump is a very bitter pill to swallow, and I think the supreme leader of Iran once said that the shoe of Qasem Soleimani has more honor than the head of Trump,’ Ben Taleblu said. ‘Being seen as directly negotiating with someone [like that] would be making the Islamic Republic look like a supplicant. 

‘The U.S. wants to be seen as having driven Iran to the negotiating table, and the Islamic Republic does not want to be seen as being driven to the negotiating table,’ he added. 

Tehran’s chief advantage is the fact that, despite severe U.S. sanctions and geopolitical attempts to halt its development of a nuclear weapon, it has made serious gains in its enrichment of uranium to near-weapons-grade quality, as well as with its missile program, a critical component in being able to actually fire a nuclear warhead.

It also has drastically closer ties with chief U.S. adversarial superpowers like Russia and China, whose position and involvement in countering Western attempts to disarm a nuclear Iran remains an unknown at this point. 

While Iran holds significant leverage when it comes to negotiating with the Trump administration on its nuclear program, Washington has a plethora of levers it can use to either incentivize or coerce Tehran into adhering to international calls for the end of its nuclear program.

‘The U.S. actually has a heck of a lot of leverage here,’ Ben Taleblu said, pointing to not only more economic sanctions, including ‘snapback’ mechanisms under the United Nations Security Council, but also military options.

Trump last month threatened to ‘bomb’ Iran if it did not engage in nuclear talks with the U.S.

But some have questioned how long the administration will allow negotiations to persist as JCPOA-era snapback sanctions expire in October 2025.

The White House would not confirm for Fox News Digital any time restrictions it has issued to Iran, but Trump on Wednesday told reporters, ‘We have a little time, but we don’t have much time.’

‘The regime has its back against the wall,’ Ben Taleblu said. ‘A military option, given what has been happening in the Middle East since Oct. 7, 2023, is an increasingly credible option against the Islamic Republic of Iran.’

‘And the regime is engaging, now, to delay and prevent a military option from ever materializing,’ he added. ‘They are hoping to use talks with the Americans as a human shield against the Israelis.’

‘So long as you’re talking to America, the Israelis aren’t shooting at you,’ Ben Taleblu continued. 

Trump this week said that it would be Israel who would take the lead on a military strike on Iran, not the U.S., should nuclear talks fail, which again could be a negotiating tactic as Israel has already demonstrated it will not hesitate to militarily engage with Iran.

‘Pursuing wholesale disarmament of the Islamic Republic of Iran is incredibly risky, and it doesn’t have a great track record of succeeding,’ Ben Taleblu said.

The Iranian expert said the only way to actually take on the Islamic Republic would be through a ‘broader’ and ‘more holistic’ strategy that focuses not only on nuclear nonproliferation but removing the ‘Axis of Resistance,’ scaling up sanctions and having a ‘ground game’ to counter the regime through cyber, political and telecommunication strategies ‘for when Iranians go out into the street and protest again.’

‘What the Islamic Republic would always want is to have you focus on the fire and not on the arsonist, and the arsonist is quite literally a regime that has tried to kill this president,’ Ben Taleblu said.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

previous post
NRCC launches ad campaign targeting dozens of vulnerable Dems who voted against key Trump proposal
next post
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink to step down amid high-stakes war diplomacy

You may also like

Senate Dems rail against ‘shadow speaker’ billionaire Elon...

December 21, 2024

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene airs frustrations, warns that...

May 5, 2025

Iran spouts ‘propaganda’ from UN podium, calls on...

September 25, 2024

Ignore outrageous attacks on Trump’s DOJ champion. He...

July 17, 2025

Dems warn House Republicans will pay price at...

May 21, 2025

Trump AG nominee Pam Bondi advances to final...

February 4, 2025

GOP leaders vow ‘action’ as Columbia University swarmed...

September 4, 2024

Majority of Black swing-state voters back Harris, as...

September 19, 2024

US ends terrorist designation of Syrian militant leaders

July 8, 2025

Harris dodging flip-flop attacks as faceless surrogates flip...

August 16, 2024

Recent Posts

  • Starmer says UK to recognize Palestinian state if Israel doesn’t agree to ceasefire, Hamas must ‘disarm’
  • ‘Critical’ closed-door congressional huddle focuses on growing antisemitism in US, Mamdani’s rise
  • Trump’s CDC pick confirmed—but her pro-vaccine stance may clash with RFK Jr.’s agenda
  • Trump pick Emil Bove confirmed as federal judge after furious Democrat walkout, whistleblower complaints
  • From Gaza to Greenland, Macron breaks with Trump on global flashpoints

    Become a VIP member by signing up for our newsletter. Enjoy exclusive content, early access to sales, and special offers just for you! As a VIP, you'll receive personalized updates, loyalty rewards, and invitations to private events. Elevate your experience and join our exclusive community today!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Categories

    • Business (845)
    • Investing (2,651)
    • Politics (3,267)
    • Stock (4)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: sightfulinvest.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 Sightful Invest. All Rights Reserved.