Trump has raised pressure in recent weeks for Iran to agree to a new contract to limit the country’s nuclear development.
The US senior negotiators met with Iranian counterparts in Oman on April 12, as President Donald Trump negotiated high stakes over Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump has pledged his hopes to acquire nuclear weapons in recent weeks, having to raise pressure on Tehran and sign a new agreement to limit nuclear development.
On March 30, the US president warned, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombings.”
Tehran had signed a 2015 agreement with several global forces to curb its nuclear development. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to limit its uranium stockpile and avoid enriching uranium at certain levels.
In 2018, during his first term, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 deal, reapplied for economic sanctions against Iran, and called for a more comprehensive framework to curb Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran has reopened its efforts to stockpile and enrich uranium from its commitment under the trade.
Trump was unable to finalize the new Iranian nuclear deal during his first term.
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Early on, President Joe Biden’s administration took steps to bring the United States back to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, but never reached the final re-entry agreement.
Iranian representatives initially said that Oman’s consultations were indirect and that US and Iranian negotiators work through intermediaries. But speaking with reporters on April 11, White House press chief Karoline Leavitt said the delegation would be taking part in the in-person meeting.
Leavitt repeated the direct warnings of possible consequences if both parties are unable to reach the deal.
“(Trump) is very clear to Iranians, and his national security team likewise has all the options… on the table, and Iran has options,” she said. “Agreeing to President Trump’s demands will also have all the hell to pay.”
Esmaeir Bakaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said Tehran was taking seriously the talks in Oman and assessing Washington’s intentions at the negotiation table.
The Trump administration is already beginning to gather military resources in the Middle East.
The Truman Carrier Strike Group is already in the Central Command Region. The career group has supported a new strike campaign targeting Yemeni Houthi terrorists since March 15th.
Houthis, which the Trump administration recently redesigned as a foreign terrorist organization, has launched missiles and drones on both military and commercial vessels operating in Israel and the Red Sea. Yemeni terrorists said these attacks were in solidarity with the Palestinian people and would halt once Israeli forces left the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi attacks declined after Israeli-Hamas terrorist groups signed a ceasefire agreement in January. The Gaza ceasefire collapsed in March amid differences of opinion about whether to proceed to the second phase of the ceasefire. Houthis then resumed its drone and missile attacks.
The Trump administration has linked the pattern of the Houthi attack to Iran. Iran supports a variety of US and designated terrorist groups in the region.
Efforts will also arise to negotiate a new Iran nuclear deal as the Trump administration works to resume the ceasefire in Gaza.
“We’re looking at another ceasefire. We’re looking at what happens,” Trump said he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on April 7th.
