A series of confrontations between Iran and the US threatened to derail negotiations set for this week.
An American jet shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea, and Iranian boats tried to block a US-flagged tanker. But Washington said Friday’s talks — on Iran’s nuclear program, missile development, and regional influence — would still take place.
The US has considerable forces in the Gulf and the incidents suggest that Iranian hardliners do not support the talks, analysts told The Wall Street Journal.
If so, they are taking a risk by pushing Washington: The countries traded aerial attacks last summer, and US President Donald Trump has warned of renewed strikes if Tehran doesn’t agree to halt its nuclear weapons development.