Several Gulf states have told the United States that the emerging understanding with Iran is a very bad deal, amid sharp disagreements in the region over the talks. The report said not only Israel views the agreement as harmful, but Gulf capitals also believe it strengthens the rule of the ayatollahs. Qatar is leading the Arab side of the negotiations, while other Arab states that have been badly hurt by Iran are also involved.
To ease tensions with U.S. allies, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to travel on a special mission to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. His aim is to calm them and stress that the memorandum of understanding is not final, and that it can still be scrapped if Iran does not meet its commitments.
Uncertainty around the memorandum continues. After Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would not allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit nuclear sites damaged during the war, contradicting remarks by Vice President J.D. Vance, President Donald Trump responded to what he called “false statements” and said: “Iran agreed to the highest level of nuclear monitoring, fully and completely, for all eternity.”
Iran said Thursday morning that the technical talks between the delegations in Switzerland had ended. A deputy foreign minister said four joint working groups had been formed to address sanctions relief, nuclear weapons, and rebuilding the country’s economy, with further rounds of talks by senior diplomats to be scheduled later.
Meanwhile, Israeli fears increased after the U.S. Treasury confirmed a series of sanctions waivers on Iranian oil, effectively granting a temporary license for oil exports. In Israel, officials worry the easing could let Iran and the Revolutionary Guards divert the resulting money toward military reconstruction.
