Middle East crisis Peace talks

Iran: Negotiations “likely” to begin on Friday

Final negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program are likely to begin on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The talks are scheduled to be held in Switzerland and mark the start of a 60-day negotiation period between the countries.

In his statement, Araghchi also warned Israel against continuing its military operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. He believes that this constitutes a violation of the terms of the agreement.

“In our view, the two parties to the memorandum of understanding are the United States and Israel on the one hand, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other,” the foreign minister said.

Israel, for its part, has said that the country is not covered by the agreement between Iran and the United States. 

CIA Chief Warns Trump: “Iran is Bluffing About Nuclear Weapons”

The Iranian regime is misleading the White House and is not prepared to make the concessions required in the nuclear negotiations, three intelligence sources told Axios. CIA Director John Ratcliffe is said to have expressed his concerns to President Donald Trump before the declaration of intent was signed.

The agreement involves a 60-day negotiation period during which Iran promises not to expand its nuclear program, while the United States waives new sanctions, further military escalation and the release of frozen assets.

– Intelligence shows that Iran’s intentions are not consistent with the commitments the country has made within the framework of the agreement, says a source.

The basis for the concern is that there is a risk that Iran will have time to build up both economic and nuclear strength while the negotiations are ongoing. According to the CIA, there is an imminent risk that Iran will ultimately not agree to the American demands to dismantle its nuclear energy program.

Iran's exiled prince critical of agreement: "Immoral"

Iran's exiled prince Reza Pahlavi is deeply critical of the agreement between Iran and the United States, he stated in an interview with The Times. He believes that an agreement with the current Iranian regime is "immoral" and that it "will fail".

- This regime can never be trusted. It will continue to blackmail the world, oppress Iranians and spread terror, he said, and believes that it will ultimately backfire on the West.

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah, has lived in exile in the United States for almost 50 years. He says that he is ready to return to Iran when the conditions are right, but does not want to impose any particular form of government on the country.