As indirect talks between Iran and the United States are set to begin in Oman, Iran is reportedly considering an initiative in response to US calls for assurances regarding its nuclear program. A senior Iranian official aware of Muscat talks told Iran Nuances that Tehran is expected to propose the US actively support the long-stalled initiative for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons – a proposal originally put forward by Iran itself in the 1970s.
According to the official, Iran intends to urge US to address what Tehran views as the primary obstacle to a regional nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ): Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal.
The proposal would reportedly require the US to take “necessary practical steps” towards realizing the NWFZ. Specifically, this would involve Washington pressuring Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) – which Israel has never done – and to dismantle its atomic weapons, which the Iranian official described as a “serious threat to regional peace and stability.”
The official noted this demand gains particular relevance in light of recent remarks by the US President Donald Trump. While standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump reportedly commented that many other countries possessing nuclear weapons perhaps shouldn’t have them.
Furthermore, the Iranian official issued a caution regarding the negotiating dynamics. He warned that “maximalist and unreasonable demands” from the US side, even if employed merely as negotiating tactics, could lead to an immediate deadlock in the talks. From Iran’s perspective, such demands would signal a “lack of seriousness” from the United States about finding a genuine diplomatic solution, potentially scuttling the process at its outset.
