Reuters: Tehran’s hardline stance keeps US conflict risk high

The likelihood of a military conflict between the United States and Iran remains high, as Tehran is unlikely to make significant concessions during negotiations.

Edmund Fitton-Brown, senior fellow at Washington-based think-tank FDD emphasized the persistent tension shaping the US-Iran standoff, Reuters reports.

“It's very difficult to see them conceding enough in talks tomorrow for the U.S. credibly to be able to claim that it's made a breakthrough. And this is where I think military conflict is more likely than not,” he said.

According to the observers, negotiators in Oman will need to account for Iran’s firm stance on its missile program in order to reach agreements and reduce the risk of escalation.

Earlier, Alissa Pavia, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that US President Donald Trump is attempting to corner Iran to resume talks on the nuclear deal.

She added that the American leader is aware that Iran is weakened after years of proxy conflicts, economic crises, and domestic unrest, and hopes to leverage this to secure concessions and advance the revival of the nuclear agreement.

By Jeyhun Aghazada