Amwaj-Khamenei Gives Permission For Direct Iran-US Nuclear Talks

Amwaj Media reporting that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has granted permission to Iran's nuclear negotiators "to enter direct talks with the United States, multiple informed senior sources have told Amwaj.media. The apparent U-turn by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be a watershed moment for the contention over the Iranian nuclear program."

• Amwaj reports that according to unnamed senior Iranian sources, Iran's top negotiator Ali Baqueri-Kani is ready to meet with his effective US counterpart Brett McGurk in Oman as early as the coming weeks. This could be followed by the five permanent UNSC members and Germany to meet with Iran.
• There remain multiple obstacles to getting to a position where sanctions could be relaxed. Western nations remain firmly opposed to Tehran's supplying of military drones to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine, and the E3 nations (France, Germany, UK) could refuse to engage with Iran in a forum where Russia is present (the UNSC). Amwaj: "As for the JCPOA itself, Washington has made clear that it does not view a clean revival of the accord as a viable option."
• Amwaj: "Looking ahead,[...]Tehran initially wants the current “de-escalatory” track to continue. [...] To reiterate, the ultimate Iranian objective is to restart talks on the JCPOA based on where things stood in the autumn of 2022....The US appears to want a “no deal, no tension” scenario, at least through the 2024 presidential elections. [...] What is apparent, however, is that a restoration of the JCPOA over the next year will be difficult—if not impossible."