Expectations run high as world powers prepare for another round of talks in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear program next Tuesday.
The diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran will mark the first attempt at negotiation between the two powers since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, says The Christian Science Monitor.
Among those speculating how talks will play out, is Mohammad Ali Shaban, a political analyst at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
He warns, “The single biggest threat to this unique window for dialogue is misguided perceptions of each sides’ respective strengths and weaknesses [...] When two rivals walk into a room, each convinced that he has the upper hand, it can end only in disaster.”
In the US, concern is directed at US Congress as it is currently working on a strict bill aimed at paralyzing the Iran nuclear program in the midst of diplomatic talks.
The New York Times quotes Cliff Kupchan, an Iran expert at a risk consulting firm, “The ultimate train wreck would result from Congress moving forward on this sanctions bill before diplomacy has a chance to produce results.”
The Senate banking committee has agreed to hold the bill until after Geneva’s negotiation sessions on Tuesday.