HIBAPRESS
After 3 weeks of war, the administration of US President Donald Trump has begun initial discussions about the next phase and what peace talks with Iran might look like, according to Axios, quoting a US official and an informed source.
These consultations are of particular importance after Trump said on Friday that he was considering a "de-escalation" of the war, although US officials have indicated that estimates still suggest that fighting will continue for another two or three weeks.
In the meantime, Trump's advisers are seeking to pave the way for a possible diplomatic path.
According to sources, both Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are participating in the discussions regarding the potential for diplomatic action.
The sources explained that any potential agreement to end the war must include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, addressing Iran's high-enriched uranium stockpile, as well as reaching a long-term understanding on the Iranian nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and Tehran's support for its proxies in the region.
Despite the absence of direct contact between Washington and Tehran in recent days, messages between the two sides have been exchanged through a third party, according to a US official and two other informed sources.
Iranian demands include a ceasefire, guarantees against the resumption of the war in the future, as well as compensation.
In contrast, a US official said that Washington believes it has "constrained Iran's growth," considering that the Iranians will eventually have to sit at the negotiating table.
He added that the United States wants Iran to make 6 basic commitments:
Dismantling the Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow nuclear facilities that were bombed by the US and Israel last year.
Imposing strict external control protocols on the manufacture and use of centrifuges, as well as the equipment associated with them, which may contribute to the development of a nuclear weapons program.
Concluding arms reduction agreements with countries in the region, including a missile ceiling not exceeding 1,000.
Stopping the funding of proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.
According to "Axios", Iran has repeatedly rejected a number of these demands in the past, and officials in Tehran have also pointed out the difficulty of negotiating with a president who had previously held talks and then suddenly resorted to bombing.
In this context, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday to his Indian counterpart that restoring normalcy in the Strait of Hormuz requires stopping US and Israeli attacks on Iran, with a commitment not to resume them in the future, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
As for Trump, he said on Friday that he does not object to holding talks, but he is not currently interested in meeting the Iranian demands regarding a ceasefire.
However, a second US official said that there is a potential margin for negotiation regarding the return of frozen Iranian assets, indicating that what Tehran calls "compensation" may be politically re-described as "the return of frozen money," allowing for an acceptable formulation for both parties.
At the moment, Trump's team is trying to answer two main questions: Who is the most appropriate party to communicate with within Iran, and which country can play the best mediating role?
Although Abbas Araqchi was the main mediator in the previous talks, Trump's advisers do not see him as the actual decision-maker, but rather a mere message carrier, according to US officials. Therefore, Washington is seeking to identify the party that holds the real decision-making power in Iran and how to reach them.
The sources concluded by saying that Trump's advisers want to be ready if a negotiating path with Iran materializes in the near future, pointing out that the conditions that both Witkoff and Kushner are working on will be similar to those that were put forward in Geneva two days before the outbreak of the war.
