“MAKE OR BREAK”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is also part of the delegation, told his German counterpart in a call on Saturday that “Iran enters negotiations with complete distrust due to repeated breaches of commitments and betrayals by the US”, the Tasnim news agency reported.
Vance said before leaving the US that if the other side was “willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand”.
But “if they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive”, he added.
The ceasefire is already under strain, notably from Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon, which Iran and Pakistan insist is covered under the current truce.
Sharif, whose country’s down-to-the-wire mediation got both sides to the negotiating table this week, said talks would not be easy.
“An even more difficult stage lies ahead,” he said, referring to efforts to permanently end fighting that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb 28, sparking Iranian retaliation against Israel and across the Gulf.
“This is that stage which, in English, is called the equivalent of ‘make or break.'”