Picking up the threads from where I last wrote on the US-Iran negotiations a week ago in my blog titled Odds are 8-1 Trump won’t start a Gulf war, the talks beginning in Geneva today are going to be crucial. A US delegation, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with the Iranians on Tuesday morning. 

The stunning backdrop is the dramatic disclosure by US President Donald Trump yesterday that “I’ll ‌be involved in those talks, indirectly. And they’ll be very important.” Trump added that Iranians were motivated this time around to negotiate. 

Evidently, the backchannel is hyperactive. The salience here must be noted carefully: Trump who has, of late, been both threatening and cajoling Tehran, is now openly identifying himself with diplomacy. This is something that has never happened before. 

Israel must be worried like nobody’s business. Its worst nightmare scenario is here — a US-Iranian deal.

There have been some positive remarks from the Iranian side as well. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC in an interview published on Sunday that Iran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions. Iran’s atomic chief said last week on Monday that Tehran could agree to dilute its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for all financial sanctions being lifted.

On the other hand, following a hastily arranged two and a half hour........

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