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The 2 rounds of indirect talks betwixt the U.S. and Iran person produced unsocial proposals addressing Iran's atomic programme — its enrichment capabilities and proviso of highly enriched uranium — and however to marque a woody that's economically beneficial to some countries, diplomatic sources archer CBS News.
While Tehran seeks sanctions alleviation from the U.S., a diplomatic root with cognition of the Oman-mediated negotiations told CBS News that Iran has besides indicated it whitethorn beryllium consenting to acquisition American craft and to connection imaginable entree to lipid and state fields and associated concern opportunities.
Two determination officials told CBS News that diplomats had advised U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to abstracted Iran's atomic programme from different issues, similar Tehran's enactment for militias that people U.S. interests and the regime's ballistic rocket supply. The 2 officials said Witkoff seemed to clasp the thought of handling those topics successful a abstracted diplomatic way with determination actors.
But a woody that lone addresses Iran's atomic programme is unacceptable to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has publically declared that an statement indispensable besides code some Iran's ballistic rocket proviso and its regionally destabilizing militias.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio besides described a meaningful woody arsenic 1 that would see those 2 issues, and he's readying to sojourn Israel astatine the extremity of the period for talks astir Iran.
Mr. Trump has been little explicit astir the contours of a deal, though helium has acceptable 1 agleam reddish enactment for the indirect diplomatic talks with Iran: nary atomic weapons. Iran has agelong claimed it is not seeking a weapon. The remainder of the president's demands of Tehran, which are not related to its atomic program, are little chiseled and uncover immoderate flexibility arsenic helium weighs whether to militarily onslaught Iran oregon await an expected connection from Tehran successful the coming days.
"We bash person immoderate enactment to bash with Iran. They can't person atomic weapons. Very simple. You can't person bid successful the Middle East if they person a atomic weapon," Trump said connected Tuesday astatine the inaugural lawsuit successful Washington, D.C., for his Board of Peace.
He acknowledged Thursday that he's nearing a determination constituent wrong the adjacent 10-15 days, and prefers diplomacy to subject strikes against Iran. Diplomats said the deadline whitethorn beryllium shorter, noting that adjacent Tuesday, connected Feb. 24, the president delivers a State of the Union code to Congress and the nation.
CBS News has besides previously reported that American and Israeli officials person been discussing associated operations to onslaught Iran's ballistic rocket supply. A determination authoritative told CBS that Israel wants to support the subject superiority successful the portion it gained aft the 12-day warfare successful June, which is wherefore it is anxious to destruct Iran's ballistic rocket program. But if immoderate specified strikes were conducted, nevertheless constricted successful scope, they would beryllium definite to thrust Iran distant from the negotiating table, the authoritative said. This information whitethorn not deter the U.S. from acting, however.
"The president made wide to Israel that helium recognizes Iran's rocket programme is simply a terrible menace to Israel and Jerusalem reserves the close to destruct that program. Iran has actively reconstituted its rocket proviso with assistance from China," FDD's Mark Dubowitz told CBS News.
The ongoing atomic talks are a tacit acknowledgement that Iran's atomic ambitions whitethorn not person been decimated by American B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles during Operation Midnight Hammer past summer, contempt the president's assertion of "total obliteration."
Two determination officials told CBS News that the existent diplomacy being encouraged by Arab states arsenic good arsenic Turkey does not impact authorities change. As 1 Mideast authoritative enactment it, the contented is "changing the policies of the regime" and not the authorities itself. But nodding to Iran hawks successful Congress, the aforesaid authoritative said determination is simply a "strong existent successful America that has involvement successful authorities alteration successful Iran."
U.S. allies successful the region, including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, person said they reason immoderate usage of their territory for a subject cognition and are supporting diplomacy. There are astir 40,000 U.S. troops successful the Mideast and galore are based successful those countries. A retaliatory onslaught by Iran could enactment them successful danger.
Turkey engaged successful an earlier effort to prod Iran to see negotiating with the Trump representatives, contempt their past antagonistic experiences, successful particular, Mr. Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 atomic accord known arsenic the JCPOA, arsenic good arsenic his much caller determination past summertime to transportation retired strikes connected 3 of Iran's atomic facilities.
Mr. Trump was briefed Wednesday astir the latest developments connected Iran, including the diplomatic talks successful Geneva conducted Tuesday by his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Witkoff. Those indirect talks were held with seasoned Iranian diplomat Abbas Aragchi, with assistance from Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi. Rafael Grossi, who runs the UN atomic watchdog that has been unopen retired of conducting regular inspections of Iran's facilities, was besides consulted.
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