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Sunday, May 11th, the United States and Iran met again in Oman during their fourth round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. In the capital city of Oman, Muscat served as the mediating location for the three hour talks. It seems as though progress has been made from the original talks, with a U.S. official commenting on the matter, saying, “Agreement was reached to move forward with the talks to continue working through technical elements… We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future.” While U.S. official are transparent about these talks, Iran continues to insist that they only took place, indirectly, this possibly being because of internal political pressures within the state. The purpose of the talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions of the U.S. has imposed on Iran.
I originally wrote a regional report on the original denial of a meeting by Iran to the U.S. invitation. My original thinking process behind this hesitance of meeting was because of the implications of the prior administration being inconsistent on following agreements, such as the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear plan in 2018. My original assessment might be incorrect or inconsiderate of the possible political considerations needed to be made in context to Iran’s political situation as of now. There is currently a bit of instability in regards to Iran’s leadership and popularity as well as the continual nationalist movements throughout Iran in promotion of national security, through the use of nuclear programs. With many regional threats, such as Saudi Arabia, Israel, and ect., Iran is put in a situation in which they need to worry and prioritize their national security for their own national interest.
Political stability and favorability is crucial for the legitimacy of a states, and a illegitimate government can serve as a Centrifugal force within a state. A Centrifugal force is one or many dividing factors within a state, which could lead to possible state devolution or dissolution or increased instability. Thus, Iran continued a strong stance against the U.S.’s offers will most likely continue until a final agreement is concluded, thus when an official announcement from Iran will occur. Iran will continue to act in its own national interest in order to legitimize its rule and protect its people, whether that be through continuing their nuclear program or brokering a deal with the United States in order for relief on saunctions, both are possibly beneficial options for the state, with differing consequences.