Question:
Oman, which is mediating the US-Iranian negotiations, announced on Thursday the postponement of the fourth round of talks that were scheduled for Saturday in the Italian capital, Rome, for "logistical reasons," without specifying a new date (Asharq, 2025/5/1). The indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran began on April 12, 2025, in the Omani capital, Muscat, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi. The second round was held on April 19, 2025, at the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Rome, also mediated by Minister Al-Busaidi. The third round took place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in the Sultanate of Oman, under the same Omani mediation. The question is: Why is Trump now seeking to re-sign a nuclear deal with Iran, even though he unilaterally withdrew in 2018 from the agreement signed on July 14, 2015? Why was the fourth round postponed? What is the meaning of logistical reasons? And does this postponement mean a cessation of negotiations?
Answer:
It is necessary first to review the circumstances that prevailed in 2015 when the nuclear deal was concluded between Iran and Western countries, then return to the context of Trump's withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 and the circumstances at that time, and after that, examine the recent new developments regarding the negotiations between the United States and Iran:
1- Factors that prompted the United States in 2015 to conclude the nuclear deal with Iran:
We said in the Answer to a Question on July 22, 2015, regarding America’s signing of the agreement: ("...The American President was managing the negotiations from a distance, with direct contact and great interest in concluding this agreement, and he kept his Secretary of State occupied with it for three consecutive weeks, in addition to previous contacts. This indicates the extent of the importance of this agreement to America, its interests, and the interests of the Obama administration. It restricted Iran... and kept it away from manufacturing any nuclear weapon. If we link this to previous statements by the American President and other American officials about the importance of Iran's strategic role in the region and the readiness to work with it, and indeed actually working with it as is apparent, as well as the statements of Iranian officials who announced their cooperation with America in Iraq and Afghanistan and their readiness to work with it in fighting terrorism and extremism, and what is actually observed of America's implicit approval of what Iran and its party are doing in Syria... all of this indicates that America aims through this agreement to make things easier for Iran by lifting sanctions and establishing overt relations with it so that it can continue to play the role that would facilitate America’s work, reduce its burdens, and cover its actions with the countries and peoples in the region. Thus, Iran actually carries out American policy as is happening in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, but instead of the implementation being from behind a curtain that blocks the view as it was, it is from behind a transparent curtain or without a curtain...").
Therefore, Obama concluded the nuclear agreement with Iran on 2015/7/14 to activate its role in Syria.
2- Factors that prompted the Trump administration in 2018 to cancel the nuclear agreement signed with Iran in 2015:
a- Washington introduced Saudi Arabia and Turkey into the region's events forcefully, as Turkey became active in the region; in 2016, Turkey carried out Operation "Euphrates Shield," and in March 2018, it launched Operation "Olive Branch." In addition to the role Saudi Arabia plays in the region, there was no longer a need for a primary role for Iran in Syria, and it had to be reduced. This is exactly what Trump did; he reduced Iran's role in the region, turning it from a major player into a merely secondary or complementary role.
b- The European countries were also party to the 2015 nuclear deal and were its greatest beneficiaries. However, Trump did not want Europe to benefit from the agreement signed during the Obama era, so he canceled it.
Thus, Trump's announcement of withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran was because America's interest necessitated withdrawing from the agreement in preparation for new conditions that would reduce the Iranian role in the region.
3- Factors that prompted Trump to return in 2025 to the nuclear agreement he canceled in 2018:
Looking at the events that followed Trump's assumption of the presidency in the White House starting January 20, 2025, the motives that prompted the United States to return again to the nuclear agreement become clear to us:
a- It is clear that the Trump administration is the one that took the initiative to resume nuclear negotiations with Iran. Trump sent a message to Tehran on March 7 via Omani mediation, showing his explicit desire to return to negotiations to achieve a new agreement. (The American President, Donald Trump, said in an interview with Fox Business, that he sent a message to the Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, on Thursday, March 6, in which he expressed his preference for negotiating an agreement with Tehran. Trump added, in his interview, which is scheduled to air the day after tomorrow, Sunday: "The other option is that action must be taken, because Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon." Regarding the text of the message he sent to Khamenei, Trump said: "I told him that I hope you negotiate, because that would be much better for Iran"... Iran International, 2025/03/07).
b- Trump invalidated the nuclear agreement in 2018 because the major gains from the agreement signed in 2015 between the five permanent members and Germany were for the benefit of the Europeans. Therefore, Trump excluded the European countries from the nuclear negotiations with Iran, unlike what happened in 2015, not consulting them, and not informing them of the negotiations that took place in Oman, in order to block the path for Europe in its efforts for nuclear talks it is trying to conduct with Iran... (European diplomats told Reuters that they are seeking to hold a new meeting with Iran, but those efforts seemingly froze when Tehran began indirect talks about its nuclear program with the administration of US President Donald Trump earlier this month. The United States did not inform European countries about the nuclear talks in the Sultanate of Oman before Trump announced them... Asharq, 2025/04/24). Even the choice of Italy, headed by the right-wing Prime Minister Meloni who received support from the Trump administration, as the headquarters for the second round is a message directed at the European countries that have entered into conflict and opposition with her, especially Britain, France, and Germany, under the pretext of NATO.
c- Furthermore, the United States intends to direct all its attention and resources toward global competition with China; therefore, it seeks to get rid of any elements that constitute a problem for it and dissipate its energy. The ongoing negotiations with Russia can be explained by the same logic: they aim to lure Russia to the negotiating table via the Ukrainian crisis, thus separating it from China, with the aim of weakening the Sino-Russian axis. Thus, Trump places the containment of China as a strategic priority.
d- The desire of the Jewish entity to attack Iran under the pretext of preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons. As we know, the Jewish entity launched an attack on Iran in October 2024, and Iran responded by launching missile attacks to show its strength, after informing the United States and the entity in advance. Now, the United States does not want to concern itself with such attacks during its period of focusing on China. For this reason, it wants to conclude a nuclear agreement with Iran, and by that, it will guarantee the security of the Jewish entity and remove the excuse for an attack from their hands. With this step, i.e., after concluding the nuclear agreement with Iran, Trump—who is the most supportive of the Jewish entity in the White House—will remove the excuse for conflict from the hands of the Jewish entity and will remove their argument. At the same time, he puts American economic interests and confronting China at the forefront of his priorities so that he can focus fully on China, without anything disturbing his focus or any obstacle hindering him.
Thus, Trump began these talks with Iran to conclude an agreement that defines Iran's nuclear capability and in isolation from the European countries.
4- As for why the fourth round was postponed, it is for logistical reasons as stated in the media. The meaning of the word logistical as stated in Wikipedia: ("The art of supply and transport." Logistics, or what is known in Arabic as fann al-suqiyat: is the art and science of managing the flow of goods, energy, and information...). It is as if what is meant is arranging the atmosphere and calming the situation after America imposed sanctions coinciding with the ongoing negotiations between America and Iran. An Iranian official told Reuters (that the Iranian-American talks will take place at a different time based on American behavior, pointing out that Washington's sanctions on Tehran do not help the diplomatic process seeking to resolve the nuclear dispute). This came after Washington imposed new sanctions on entities it accused of being involved in the illegal trade of Iranian oil and petrochemicals. The United States (had on Wednesday imposed sanctions on entities it accused of being involved in the illegal trade of Iranian oil and petrochemicals, as part of Washington's effort to intensify pressure on Iran) Asharq, 2025/5/1. These sanctions came at a time when the negotiation rounds were being conducted seriously as described. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said (that Tehran will continue to participate seriously and firmly in negotiations aimed at achieving results with the United States. Asharq, 2025/5/1).
Therefore, it is unlikely that this postponement is a cessation of negotiations between the two parties, but rather a temporal postponement to calm the atmosphere as a result of American sanctions during the ongoing negotiations.
5- It is indeed strange that the rulers in the Muslim lands agree to America's interference in determining what the Muslims possess of strength, weapons, and industry! These rulers do not realize that the preparation of power in Islam is for defeating the enemy, frightening him, and terrorizing him. If the enemy controls what we have in detail, then it is a defeat for us even before its time! How can Iran allow America to interfere in its power, its missiles, and its nuclear weapons at a time when America fills its arsenals with nuclear weapons, and indeed used them decades ago in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?! America openly declares that it will not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons. The duty of Iran and other Muslim rulers was to say to America in a loud voice: Destroy what you have of nuclear weapons before you ask others not to possess nuclear weapons... and destroy what you have of missiles before you ask others to destroy what they have of missiles... As for the enemies possessing heavy weapons and asking the Muslims not to possess them, that is a statement steeped in oppression, arrogance, and contempt for others, if only they would understand.
Allah, the Mighty and Almighty, has clarified this in His Book, in His saying:
وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَمِنْ رِبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ وَآخَرِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَهُمُ اللهُ يَعْلَمُهُمْ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ
"And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged." (QS Al-Anfal [8]: 60)
It is stated in the Introduction to the Constitution, p. 256: [Article 69: (The army must be provided with weapons, equipment, supplies, and necessities that enable it to carry out its mission as an Islamic army...)]. So His saying (swt): ﴿ترهبون﴾ is a cause for the preparation, and the preparation is not complete unless the cause for which it was legislated is realized, which is striking terror into the enemy and the hypocrites. From here comes the obligation of providing weapons, equipment, supplies, and all other preparations for the army so that terror exists, and even more so so that the army is capable of carrying out its mission, which is Jihad to spread the call of Islam...].
All of this indicates that Muslims must exert their utmost effort so that their power is above the power of the enemy and that it strikes terror into his heart. To achieve that, our power must be a source of constant concern for the enemy that occupies and terrifies him. All of this is inconsistent with entering into negotiations with the enemy in which he defines our weapons and prevents us from controlling our power to terrify and frighten him.
We ask Allah (swt) to enable Hizb ut-Tahrir, the leader that does not lie to its people, to establish the State of Islam, the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate), sooner rather than later, and then it will terrify the enemy as it was before, and spread goodness throughout the world, and return the plot of the disbelievers back upon their own necks:
وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
"And on that day the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful." (QS Ar-Rum [30]: 4-5)
4th Dhu al-Qi'dah 1446 AH May 2, 2025 CE