Internal Iranian Pressure to Proceed with U.S. Talks and Avoid Military Confrontation
According to The New York Times, Iranian officials have warned Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that rejecting negotiations with the United States—or the failure of upcoming talks—could lead to military strikes on key nuclear sites in Iran, such as Natanz and Fordow.
The officials stressed that such an outcome would pose a major threat to the region, potentially triggering a wide-scale war. They also warned that Iran’s response to any military attack could worsen its economic crisis and intensify domestic unrest, making negotiations a critical necessity.
In a related development, Ali Shamkhani, advisor to Khamenei, announced that Iran is seeking a “realistic and fair” agreement in the upcoming talks with the U.S., set to be held Saturday in Oman. He noted that the Iranian Foreign Minister would attend the negotiations with full authority and stressed the need to avoid media theatrics and focus on achieving tangible results.
On the other side, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that direct talks have taken place between the United States and a senior Iranian official, expressing hope that these discussions would lead to peace.
