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This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Tehran – Iran has postponed expert indirect talks with the United States on the technical details of a potential nuclear deal to 26 April. This was reported by the Iranian state news agency IRNA, citing Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai. The talks, which were originally scheduled for Wednesday, will be held simultaneously with the next round of indirect discussions between the heads of delegations of the two countries.
According to IRNA, Iran seeks to approach the negotiations with “goodwill and seriousness”. However, the country is carefully balancing its desire to reach a deal with the desire not to appear too interested in an agreement. The last two weeks of talks between Iran and the US have seen an acceleration of efforts to reach a deal, but Iran is also lowering expectations and strengthening ties with Russia and China to hedge against possible setbacks.
A former Iranian Foreign Ministry official and current director general of IRNA called the talks a “litmus test” for diplomacy, stressing that they are an opportunity for both sides to better understand each other’s positions beyond media narratives. “If the talks have opened even a small window for diplomacy, it can already be considered a success,” he said, expressing cautious optimism.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknezhad stressed that the country’s oil and gas industry remains attractive to international investors due to its high profitability. Iran hopes to attract investment from the US and the West if a deal is reached, but is also considering cooperation with Russia, China and other countries.
The negotiations are complicated by regional tensions and Israel’s position, which advocates a tougher approach to Iran. On 22 April, US President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Trump administration publicly declared that it had agreed on a position with Israel on Iran. This is a cause for concern in Tehran, as Israel considers Iran’s nuclear programme an existential threat.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also recently had a conversation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi. At the same time, Araghchi cancelled his participation in the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Conference, citing a change in the format of the event, which may indicate Iran’s caution about being open to questions from the United States and the West.
Against this backdrop, Iran is closely monitoring domestic political discussions in the United States, including recent dismissals in the Pentagon over allegations of leaks, as well as media narratives such as a recent episode of Tucker Carlson’s show on potential conflict with Iran.
The talks on 26 April are expected to be an important step in determining the future course of diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States, while Tehran continues to manoeuvre between diplomacy and regional alliances.
Source: The Jerusalem Post, 23 April 2025
