President Trump's claim of being close to a deal with Iran has been met with deep scepticism in Tehran, where officials have denied any direct negotiations and dismissed the idea as "fake news." As regional tensions continue, analysts are divided on whether the path to diplomacy is genuine or a tactical delay. On an Al Jazeera discussion panel, University of Tehran assistant professor Elham Kadkhodaei said there is "absolutely no" opportunity for negotiations with the US, with Iranians viewing talks as futile after two rounds of discussions during the Trump administration failed to yield positive results. She argued that Iran is now focused on "imposing reality on the ground" through military operations, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, to ensure its security rather than relying on unreliable agreements like the JCPOA. Kadkhodaei warned that many Iranians suspect Trump's talk of negotiations may be a "ruse" to buy time for a potential ground invasion. Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Iran faces a strategic choice: having likely achieved its two core objectives—regime survival and reestablished deterrence—it now risks "overplaying its hand" if it continues escalating. He noted that talks do not require trust, but would likely begin through back channels. Harrison cautioned that a "completely different playbook" would open if Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined the conflict, making Iran's military position far more difficult. Both analysts agreed that Iran cannot win militarily and will ultimately need to de-escalate, though the path to diplomacy remains uncertain. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://X.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #Trump #Iran #IranWar #USIsraelWarOnIran #IranDeal #MiddleEastCrisis #Israel #StraitOfHormuz #MohammadBaqerQalibaf #IranDeal #MiddleEastCrisis #Israel #IranNuclearDeal #OperationEpicFury #OperationTruePromise4 #TrumpIranUltimatum
Iran 'no opportunity' for US talks, suspects Trump 'ruse' for ground invasion, analysts say
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President Trump's claim of being close to a deal with Iran has been met with deep scepticism in Tehran, where officials have denied any direct negotiations and dismissed the idea as "fake news." As regional tensions continue, analysts are divided on whether the path to diplomacy is genuine or a tactical delay. On an Al Jazeera discussion panel, University of Tehran assistant professor Elham Kadkhodaei said there is "absolutely no" opportunity for negotiations with the US, with Iranians viewing talks as futile after two rounds of discussions during the Trump administration failed to yield positive results. She argued that Iran is now focused on "imposing reality on the ground" through military operations, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, to ensure its security rather than relying on unreliable agreements like the JCPOA. Kadkhodaei warned that many Iranians suspect Trump's talk of negotiations may be a "ruse" to buy time for a potential ground invasion. Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Iran faces a strategic choice: having likely achieved its two core objectives—regime survival and reestablished deterrence—it now risks "overplaying its hand" if it continues escalating. He noted that talks do not require trust, but would likely begin through back channels. Harrison cautioned that a "completely different playbook" would open if Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined the conflict, making Iran's military position far more difficult. Both analysts agreed that Iran cannot win militarily and will ultimately need to de-escalate, though the path to diplomacy remains uncertain. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://X.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #Trump #Iran #IranWar #USIsraelWarOnIran #IranDeal #MiddleEastCrisis #Israel #StraitOfHormuz #MohammadBaqerQalibaf #IranDeal #MiddleEastCrisis #Israel #IranNuclearDeal #OperationEpicFury #OperationTruePromise4 #TrumpIranUltimatum
