Iran–US Nuclear Negotiations and Political Tensions: Strategic Analysis

Iran–US Nuclear Negotiations and Political Tensions: Strategic Analysis 

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sharply rebuked U.S. President Donald Trump, adopting a pessimistic tone regarding negotiations with the Trump administration, despite the Iranian Foreign Minister saying that an agreement had been reached on the “guiding principles” of a deal. 
 
In a statement on Tuesday, the 86-year-old Khamenei said Trump admitted that the U.S. has been trying to dismantle the theocratic regime in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution but has failed. These ongoing dialogues between Iran and the U.S. demonstrate the accuracy and continuation of the elements I mentioned in previous articles. The nuclear dispute between the two countries is clearly evident; unless there is a revolutionary change in their political structures or in world diplomacy, Israel’s role as a secondary factor influencing diplomacy and politics further supports this. 
 
In a message released via state media on Tuesday, the Iranian negotiating team stated that Tehran is "serious" about the indirect talks mediated by Oman and wants to see results, particularly the lifting of harsh US sanctions imposed after Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal Iran reached with world powers three years prior in 2018. 
 
The US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, served as the lead representatives in parallel talks with Ukraine and Russia in Switzerland. 
 
Both teams held separate meetings with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi and the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi. Grossi will have to lead future inspection missions of Iranian nuclear facilities bombed by the US during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June. 
 
It is clear that Iran is engaged in political communication not only with the US but also with other countries around the world regarding nuclear weapons and facilities, and that they want to obtain information in this regard. However, because of the involvement of the US and Israel, this equation is expected to end negatively or insufficiently for Iran. 

 RESOURCES  

Motamedi, M. (2026, February 17). Iran’s Khamenei maintains tough rhetoric with US despite nuclear talks. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/17/irans-khamenei-maintains-tough-rhetoric-with-us-despite-nuclear-talks