Trump Reverts to Diplomacy With Iran, but the Road Is Narrow

Even with President Trump’s “beautiful armada” off its shores, Iran has again turned to a familiar tactic: prolonging negotiations over its nuclear program. Talks in Oman did not end in acrimony or airstrikes and are expected to continue, but the rapid buildup of American forces and Israeli concern about ballistic missiles make the path forward narrower than Tehran appears to expect.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called the meetings “a good start,” saying delegates agreed to continue talks and to seek “a solid framework for future talks.” He repeated on Telegram that Iran insists on the right to enrich and that its ballistic missiles are not negotiable, and noted there had been an opportunity to shake hands with the American delegation.

Mr. Trump also called the talks a “good start,” said he was in “no rush” and demanded “no nuclear weapons,” a formulation that added to confusion since Tehran already says it will not build a bomb and U.S. negotiators seek an end to enrichment.

Iran, Oman