Ever since United States President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the Iran nuclear deal of 2018, which was signed by Tehran (Iran) and the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and European Union, there has been no dearth of escalation of brinkmanship on the ground.
The imposition of punitive economic sanctions by the Trump administration with an intent to usher in a regime change in Iran now seems to have only strengthened the resolve of the country's leadership to strengthen its ambitious nuclear programme. Its recent announcements that it had the ability to enrich uranium up to 20 per cent and launching advanced centrifuges is a case in point. Under these circumstances, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani expressed his willingness to the talks, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, with the US.
It indeed is a good diplomatic opening. The two countries should not squander this opportunity. Sustained dialogue — and not threats of military confrontation — will help resolve the issues related to the Iran nuclear programme.