Nuclear tensions rise as Iran and US disagree on date for talks

Diplomacy between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program has hit a new hurdle - not over uranium enrichment or sanctions - but over a very simple issue: when to meet.

While US President Donald Trump insists that the next round of talks will take place on June 12, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei says talks will resume on June 15 in Muscat.

Oman, which is mediating the talks between them, has not yet spoken.

The disagreement over the date of the meeting comes as Iran's chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, is expected to be in Norway on June 12 for the Oslo Forum, making it difficult (but not impossible) for a meeting with the US on that day.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi will also be in Oslo, so if White House envoy and nuclear negotiator Steve Witkoff travels there, there could be a meeting.

Despite the confusion over the date, the importance of the meeting is clear: the sixth round of talks is emerging as a defining moment.

Iran has officially rejected Washington's proposal for a deal, calling it "unacceptable" and deficient on key issues, especially regarding the lifting of economic sanctions and recognition of Iran's right to enrich uranium on its soil.

Tehran says it will soon submit a counterproposal through Oman, a plan it describes as "reasonable, logical and balanced" and calls on the United States to take it seriously.

While Iran has kept the details of this counterproposal secret, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi says it is not a long document, but a "rational" proposal that "cannot be dismissed with a simple 'no'."

He describes it as a solid and acceptable basis for further discussions.

The proposal is expected to insist on the right to continue enriching uranium - a non-negotiable point for Tehran - and demand the effective and verifiable lifting of sanctions before Iran makes any concessions.

For their part, Trump and other US officials continue to maintain that any deal must force Iran to stop enrichment, a stance that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has completely rejected as "100 percent contrary" to national interests.

All this is happening as the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meets in Vienna for its quarterly session, where the Iranian file is at the top of the agenda.

The IAEA's latest full report, published on May 31, concludes that Iran has not provided credible answers about undeclared nuclear material and activities in several locations and that its cooperation with inspectors has been "less than satisfactory."

The United States and its European allies – Britain, France and Germany (known as the E3) – are pushing for a resolution that would formally declare that Iran is not meeting its safeguards obligations for the first time in two decades.

If passed, the resolution would not immediately expedite the issue at the UN Security Council, but it would give Iran a deadline to address its concerns. It would be a major step toward reinstating UN sanctions if Iran fails to cooperate.

Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to retaliate if the resolution is passed, hinting that it could expand its nuclear program, including installing thousands of advanced centrifuges.

The automatic reinstatement of UN sanctions is a provision in the now-failed 2015 deal, and the E3 countries want to use it before it expires in October.

If the resolution is passed, it could affect the tone of the next round of nuclear talks.

Adding to tensions, Iran's Intelligence Ministry claimed last weekend that Tehran has secured a "treasure trove" of sensitive Israeli documents, including material on Israel's nuclear program and defense capabilities.

As Israel prepares to strike Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations with the US fail, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the alleged intelligence leak would allow Iran to retaliate "immediately" by striking Israel's "secret nuclear facilities."

For now, the world is waiting – not only for the content of an agreement, but also for negotiators to agree on a date and venue for the talks./ REL