Differences over nuclear programme remains unresolved, says senior Iranian official

• Differences over nuclear programme remain unresolved
• The gaps have not narrowed
• Continuation of US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz undermines efforts for peace talks

At the same time, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson is also out in saying that “there is no plan for a second round of negotiations with the US for now”.

Well, Iran continuing to maintain a hard line and uncompromising stance has always been their negotiating position from the get go. So, this is very much consistent with that brand. It was the same before the first round of talks but eventually there was some form of dialogue at the end of the day. So, it could very much be the case again this time around later this week.

That being said, having a conversation and agreeing to certain terms are two different things. And for now, there’s still a major gap on two key issues between the US and Iran.

First, it is that the US wants Iran to abandon its nuclear ambition and that doesn’t seem likely to happen now. It is still unsure whether there is power scuffle among the major ranks in Iran and who is in charge of aligning the view. But as things stand, the messiness in itself is enough to dictate that this particular issue will remain a sticking point in talks.

As for the second, it is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This is Iran’s most important leverage for negotiations and everything else in this conflict. To expect them to open up the waterways again without restriction is not something that they are willingly going to do. Yes, there might be a more limited “reopening”. But as every day that passes, oil and gas supply will just continue to tighten further globally and cause a strain to markets.

This article was written by Justin Low at investinglive.com.