Where the U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Are Headed

Iran is considered by both the United States and Israel to be in a weakened position because of the ongoing fighting in the Middle East during the past year, which has decapitated Hezbollah and Hamas—Tehran’s regional proxies. Iran also suffers from persistent economic decline, partly due to sanctions. Thus far, these factors do not seem to have significantly swayed Tehran’s negotiating position. To date, Iran has given the Trump administration the same thing that it gave Joe Biden’s team: indirect talks focused on the nuclear issue and sanctions relief.